The Case of the Maltese Toadstool
by Smitty Werbenmanjensen
Summary: It's been nine years since their glory days at Hogwarts.  But Harry and his trusted partner Ron are about to embark on their most perilous adventure yet....
1. Chapter 1 through 28

**"The Case of the Maltese Toadstool"**

* * *

**Prologue**

Four years. It may as well have been forty. Four years of pain. Justice be damned. Four years of suffering alone. No more. As the mysterious brunette drove her car to Whitechapel, all she could think of was justice and the price she had paid dearly for it. Tonight...her journey back from the depths of hell begins...

Chapter 1 **The Mysterious Brunette**

Ol' Harry sat back on his chair, put his feet up on his desk and lit a cigar. Another case closed, another 5,000 Samolians and another hot night in Whitechapel. After a few puffs he decided it was time to hightail it out of there before the throngs of hookers started lining the streets around Buck's Row. Then _she_ entered. A slim, wavey-haired brunette with skin as pale as buttermilk. Her black dress with a plunging neckline was starting to make him think twice about his plan to avoid solicitation tonight. This girl was giving him a look he could feel in his hip pocket. Still, there was a strange feeling of familiarity with this one. If he didn't know any better…he could swear some form of enchantment was at work here.

"Puh-please, Mr. Potter...I need your help," she pleaded with wild eyebrows.

"Lemme guess," he drawled. "Running from a boyfriend?"

"N-no," she answered. "I...I have to get somewhere unnoticed."

"What's your name, dollface?" he asked, taking another drag of his cigar.

"Hermione," she answered, bowing her head humbly.

"Who the bloody hell would give you a name like _that_?" he joked and then ducked to avoid her slap.

"Don't make me shmack you shweetheart!" he chuckled.

"OOOoooooh! I came to you for _help_, you bastard!" she cried, her eyes flashing and her eyebrows getting wilder by the second.

"100 pounds, love," he said flatly. "In advance."

"Huh?" she replied with her brow crinkled. "I...believe I only weigh 98 pounds, Mr. Potter."

"Money, you crazy broad!" he laughed. "Clams, Samolians, Rocks!"

Reaching into her purse she fetched all she could.

"Another 500," he added. "When we're done."

"Um...I only have 60 with me, Mr. Potter...puh-please help me," she said with a set of pleading eyes that would melt butter on an eskimo's igloo.

Resigning himself to her charms, he took her money.

"So...what's this little caper of yours?" he asked.

"I...I must get to a friend undetected and...and get her out," she replied, the life returning to her beautiful hazel eyes. "She's an _unwilling _guest of...Draco the Hammer."

"Whoah!" he gasped and put his cigar out. "Are you NUTS? Or more to the point...do you think _I'm_ nuts!?"

"PLEASE!" she repeated and fell to her knees. "I'll do _anything_. Please, Mr. Potter!"

Harry thought for a second. **The Malfoy Mob** are dangerous racketeeers to be sure. _Guns, drugs, gambling, prostitution, real estate, Polyweed...even frozen concentrated orange juice!_ And only god knows how and _why_ the remains of Peter "The Rat" Pettigrew were found in several dozen cans of tuna at a local grocery store. The fact that the Malfoys owned the canning factory was deemed circumstantial in court. His first reaction would have been to send her away. But her genuine concern for a friend touched him. Not to mention she was now hugging his right thigh and giving him an uneasy feeling in his loins.

"I dunno, doll," he replied, his voice cracking like a bad karaoke singer. "Draco's dad isn't the kind of guy you cross."

Trembling against his right thigh she looked up at him and pleaded with the most beautiful set of hazel eyes he'd seen in a while. She stood up with tears streaming down her cheeks and threw her arms around his neck.

"I-I'll do anything, Mr. Potter," she repeated, her voice cracking.

As he gently pulled her arms off of him she began to sob louder. To her surprise he held them to his chest and massaged them.

"It's okay," he whispered. "Now...who's your friend?"

"Ginny," she replied, steadying her voice. "Ginny Weasley."

"WHAT!?" he squealed. "_MY_ Ginny!"

* * *

Chapter 2 **The Wrath of Won Won**

Harry couldn't believe his ears. He knew that something was wrong the last time Ginny slapped him across the face. It was different, almost final. The half-empty bottle of booze in the bottom drawer told him he wasn't over it. Harry reached for his friend once more, offering this sultry, bushy haired vixen some of his relief.

"I knew that would mean something to you." sobbed Hermione as she accepted the drink.

Does Ron, his partner for almost ten years now, know of any of this? Should he dare ask? Too late. The front office door slammed shut with the untimely arrival of his best mate and partner.

"Oi, Harry, get out of here already. Go home and try to..." Ron cut himself off as he walked into Harry's office. He usually took no notice of the odors of Harry's den, the smoke, the booze, but this was different. Her scent carried him the rest of the way in.

"Well, to whom do I owe the pleasure?" he directed the question to the lady now holding her unladen hand out in greeting.

"Hermione Granger, and you are?" Her eyes ran up and down his muscular but poorly dressed body. She couldn't quite size him up.

"Weasley, Ron Weasley" replied Ron.

"No! She told me not to let you know. Shyte! She'll kill me when she finds out."

Harry Jumped in, "What's goin' on with my Ginny?"

"Your Ginny?" Ron ejaculated loudly.

"Hold on mate." Harry said, but Ron was addressing the black clad vixen now.

"What is going on with my sister?"

"Sh-she's in trouble with the Malfoy gang" Hermione said timidly.

"BLOODY FREAKIN' HELL!" Ron roared and then _BAM_. Harry didn't see that one coming, or else he would have at least tried to duck. When he came to he could see Ron standing in the corner helping himself to the remainder of his whiskey. He had a splitting headache. "Sorry mate. Lost control."

Hermione was holding an ice pack to Harry's forehead, "That'll leave a nasty scar. You hit the corner of your desk after..."

"Yeah, I get the picture." Harry said as got up and walked over to his cabinet and pulled out a small shaving mirror. There was a lightning shaped gash and a swollen black eye. Funny…there was something oddly familiar about _that_ as well.

* * *

Chapter 3 **The Naughty Partner**

For a moment Harry considered his reflection in the spotted & dusty mirror, and the thought occurred to him that this newest addition to his face might actually add to his reputation as a seasoned fighter of the Dark Arts. It would certainly give Malfoy a second's pause before blowing his brains out with the Avada Kedavra curse.

Harry's internal monologue was interrupted by odd sounds of slurping, and he shifted slightly in front of the mirror to reveal the scene behind him. Dammit; he should have known. There was his partner, Weasley, snogging the gorgeous stranger. What WAS her name again? Something like Herman but more effeminate. A stranger who moments ago, had offered herself sexually to him as payment for his services. For the millionth time Harry reminded himself to never leave even a slightly-attractive client alone with his partner.

"Ahem," said Harry, and the slurping noises ceased abruptly as the couple broke apart, Weasley with a devilish grin and what's-her-name still teary-eyed yet looking considerably more appeased than moments before.

"When the two of you are quite finished, we need to talk about how we're going to get Ginny out of Malfoy's evil clutches." Harry felt an enormous jab of jealousy and a slight twinge of shame as he recalled how he had dealt his Ginny such a raw deal when he turned her away. His only comfort was that her other older brothers, Bill & Georgie, hadn't decided to come pay him back for how he had shafted her.

His relief was _literally _shattered when his glass office door was blasted open and two red-headed hot-headed men strode boldly into the room with looks that could stop the Hogwarts Express dead in its tracks.

"We thought we'd find you here," said old _One-Ear_ George, as he eyed his brother Ron still in the embrace of the voluptuous mistress with tears still staining her dark eyes.

"Yeah, and if you two don't get off your whiskey-puckered asses and save our sister Ginny, we'll make sure old Georgie here has another couple of identical twins, one-eared and all," snorted ol' Billy _The Wolf_ as he took a large swig from Harry's bottle.

Harry, despite his growing trepidation at taking on the Malfoys, smirked openly. With the Weasley Brothers on their side, Ginny's chances of being free from the Malfoy gang ... well, they weren't necessarily better, but at least now it'd be one hell of a fun ride.

* * *

Chapter 4 **Me and my BIG MOUTH**

Harry brought his Studebaker to a quiet stop on Mitre St. across from the wharves. Hopefully his partner Ron wasn't still sore from the news, he thought. As an afterthought, he hoped Ron's fist was still smarting from the left hook he landed on his now sore chin. All in all he hoped Ron and his shady bootlegging brothers, ol' One-Ear George and Billy the Wolf, stayed put back at the office like he asked.

There it was, the **Malfoy Canning Company**. Not quite an eyesore considering the majority of the abandoned homes and other businesses surrounding the wharves were dilapidated old hovels, the main tenants of which were rats and cockroaches.

"Where are they keeping her?" Harry asked, looking through his binoculars.

"There's a warehouse on the other side," Hermione replied. "Draco always has his goons take her there until he's through conducting business with other mobsters. If you can only get in there...I know the vent in the room leads to the old boathouse and-"

"Whoah!" Harry interrupted. "Whaddya mean_'you'_, dollface? This is your caper, remember?"

"Oh, I'd love to help but I'm rather awful at this sort of thing," she replied, hoping he'd buy such a load of baloney.

"Why you lying, spoiled little Oxford dame!" he shot back. "You're coming with me and that's final!"

"Buh-but...the goons they'll-"

"That's Gregory _the Houndog_ Goyle guarding the door, schweetheart. The ex _boxer_. He's as dumb as a horned frog and a million times _hornier_. Get it?"

She moaned like a petulant school girl at his implication.

"Oh, alright," she surrendered. "It's for Ginny."

After primping herself she walked in Goyle's direction. Her exaggered swaying made Harry shift his pants front as he stayed ducked in the shadows behind her. He was right. Goyle was a dumb as a sack of peanuts and started _wolf whistling_ the minute he caught sight of her. The _tongue-wagging_ was a bit much though. And he'd never seen a grown fella _drool_ so much in his entire life.

"Hello, big boy," she said in a breathless tone as she fetched a cigarette from her purse. "Got a light?"

Seizing the opportunity as Goyle fumbled in his pockets for a lighter, Harry pinged him on the back of the head with the butt of his pistol.

"All in a night's work, schweetheart," he joked. "This idiot doesn't even smoke. What a mook!"

It's a pity he didn't count on the _other_ big palooka lurking in the shadows behind him.

"Harry, look out!" Hermione yelled.

As he turned to open the door, the last thing he remembered was the calloused fist of Vincent's nephew, _Buster_ Crabbe, coming right at his chin.

* * *

Chapter 5 **CANNED**

_Tuna_. As if the smell wasn't nauseating enough. It reminded him of his sweet Ginny and how she nursed him through his post-Voldermort depression and repeated bouts of alcoholism. How he longed for a juicy, disgusting T-bone steak for lunch only to have sweet Ginny stroll into his office every lunch hour with a healthy meal. Chicken salads, tofu, a strange concoction called hummus. And the spring water didn't exactly wash the taste away.  
And water was exactly what he got in his face just now. God, he wished he wasn't tied to a chair.

"Wakey wakey, you little flakey," Crabbe teased. "How's that jaw, you ol' _has-been_?"

"Well, I think you hit like a girl," Harry lied. "Even Ron hits harder than you."

"Oh yeah!?" Goyle chimed in. "You're a...uh...and...you're a..."

"Good comeback," Harry shot back. "You big lummox."

From around the corner Draco himself walked in. Ten years, ten more inches of hair and ten pounds later, he still looked like an _Orlando Bloom as "Legolas" from 'Lord of the Rings'_-wannabe. As he closed in, he wrinkled his frow and feigned nausea at the smell of Harry's breath.

"Well well...if it isn't my old pal Harry Potter," he remarked. "Or what are you calling yourself these days..._Jack Daniels...Johnny Walker Red...Jim Beam_?"

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked, wanting to strangle him with his own blonde locks.

"With me, Potter. But don't you worry your sotted head. I've no intention of harming the lass...as long as Lieutenant Percy stays out of my affairs for the next few days."

"You let her go!"

"No, Potter. There's a war about to erupt on these docks. And it would be better for all if Percy's bungling Keystone cops were out of the way."

"I...I'll keep them off your back...just hand Ginny over."

"Sorry, Potter...we got lucky with that "Canned Rat" caper, no thanks to you. I refuse to take any chances this time around."

A bright, white burst of light and the Weasley trio appeared flicking Stupify spells left and right. Goyle, attempting to use Harry as a shield ran face to face with ol' One-Ear George whose scarred head, missing 1/3rd of his hair on one side and misshapen forehead was even more frightening up close and personal.

"Mooohahahhahahaha! In me power!" One-Ear George bellowed.

Screaming like a little girl who just lost her popsicle stick to a playground bully, Goyle ran for the door and disappeared behind Draco and Crabbe while a host of their goons lay stupified all around the warehouse.

Freeing Harry from the ropes binding him, Ron looked around and asked, "Where are they keepin' them, mate?"

"I...I dunno...he separated us," Harry answered, hoping not to get another left hook.

"Oh, for the love of...!" Ron started but stopped to look around. "Where...where is Hermi-...Hermio...th-that Hermininny broad?"

"Uh...he's got her too," Harry said, bracing for the worst.

"You lost that sweet piece of ass too?!" Ron bellowed.

"Well, she was..." Harry tried to finish but for the third time in one night...another balled fist connected with his chin.

* * *

Chapter 6 **The Bucket o' Blood**

Retreating to One-Ear George and Billy the Wolf's underground hideout at the _Bucket o' Blood_ Bar and Grill, _Notary Public_, Harry and Ron plotted their next step.

"I don't believe this," Ron fumed. "I tell Ginny a million times but she still goes out alone in this part of town!"

"Go easy on her," Harry chided with an icepack on his chin. "I...I wasn't there for her...I haven't been good for anyone for a while now, in fact."

Rifling through the morning mail, One Ear George paused as he saw the morning headline in the Daily Bugle. It was a familiar face to be sure. An old friend who was obviously in serious trouble.

"Oi, look who's gone missing," he announced as he plopped the newspaper on the table. "Good ol' Professor Neville."

"WHAT?!" Harry and Ron blurted out together.

_...Professor Neville Longbottom, head of the Herbology Department at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry went missing yesterday while inspecting a shipment of rare plants aboard the H.M.S. Greengrass. Longbottom gained reknown when his team discovered that English Ivy, cross-bred with Magoomba Hydra root from Tibet created a potion which causes plant life to grow at an astounding rate. Dock officials, along with local law enforcement at the 8th street wharves deny any foul play although rumors of a drug war between the Malfoy Mob and Finnegan's Irish Brigade have been brewing for months in the area... _

Harry and Ron exchanged knowing glances as One-Ear George and Billy the Wolf exchanged puzzled looks.

"POLYWEED," Harry and Ron said together.

"Bloody hell," One-Ear George muttered. "Who do you suppose got to Neville? Whoever did is going to have one helluva stockpile of Polyweed in _days_ rather than _weeks_!"

"I don't know," Harry answered. "But I'm gonna find out."

Reaching into Billy the Wolf's desk, Harry pulled out a bottle of Crown Royal and took a swig.

"How do you wanna play this, mate?" Ron asked.

"Stealthy," Harry answered. "Keep Percy outta Malfoy's hair. We gotta...we gotta play it straight."

Taking the bottle away before before he could take another swig, Ron looked his partner in the eye and said, "Then lay off this 'til we at least get Ginny back safe, mate."

* * *

Chapter 7 **The Marauders**

Hours laters...

Ron slammed the phone down. Along with Harry he had been busy most of the evening calling up old friends.

"Oi, what's wrong?" Harry asked.

"I just got off the phone with Dean. Apparently that Hermi- girl was working undercover for the Ministry. They weren't too happy when they discovered the Malfoys got to her and according to Dean...our office was trashed."

"The Ministry?"

"No...he was staking out the place with Luna. The _Quibbler_'s trying to get a jump on the competition. They said our ol' buddies _Seamus Finnegan_ along with Cormac McLaggen and Ernie McMillan were leaving there with a bunch of goons..."

"Bloody hell..._Finnegan's Brigade_."

"Not only that, he heard one of 'em mutter something to the effect of, 'Maybe the professor will talk'. I'm not sure I like the idea of taking on the Malfoy Mob _and_ Finnegan's Brigade, mate."

Taking a deep breath, Harry thought it through.

"Ginny comes first," he said finally. "Malfoy didn't want the cops in the middle of this war. Piss on _that_. I'll...I'll see if I can call in some favors from old friends. Malfoy never said he'd mind if

"He's gonna want what Neville knows, Harry."

"Wait...why would Seamus trash our office and then go back to see if _the 'professor'_ will talk?"

"The secret MAIL!" they said at once.

The two of them got up and ready to go as the door swung open. There was One-Ear George, Billy the Wolf and good ol' Charlie _the Animal_ Weasley along with Zacharias Smith, Michael Corner, Cho Chang, Romilda Vane and Lavender Brown."

"Marauders," announced One-Ear George. "At your service."

"Ready to get dirty?" Ron challenged.

"Hooo YAH!" they answered in unison.

* * *

Chapter 8 **TRASHED**

Peering over the edge of the trash bin behind the building which housed the _Potter & Weasley Ace Detective Agency, Notary Public_, Michael Corner vomitted uncontrollably. Next to him, crouched in neck-deep trash, Zacharias Smith searched as well as he could with one hand holding his nose shut.

"Ready to get dirty?" he muttered sarcastically, imitating Ron. "The things we do for truth and justice!"

Peering out around the alleyway, Lavender Brown and Romilda Vane stood sentry while the boys worked. Even from a distance Harry could hear them enthusiastically speak of standing up to the two worst mobs Whitechapel had ever had the displeasure of dealing with and a mention or two about..._Won Won_.

"Ahem," Harry cleared his throat while tapping Ron on the shoulder.

Ron stood up in the trash bin inspecting a wooden box and faced him.

"So uh...what's with the two skirts, partner?" Harry asked.

"Lavender's got a connection in Seamus's merry band. She's a heck of an asset, mate. And uh...she's easy on the eyes as well."

"And...Romilda?"

"Well...uh...she was eager to help and...uh...she brings me stuff every now and then...and..you know..."

"No, Ron..._explain_ it to me."

"Well, she came poking around a couple of months ago...when Ginny moved into her own apartment...asked about ya and stuff...but don't worry, mate...I set her straight."

"Straight onto your..._winky_?" Harry added as Ron blushed with guilt.

"_FOUND IT!_" said Michael, fetching a mushroom-shaped urn from the bottom of the trash bin next to theirs. It was antique solid brass with a strange double keyhole configuration.

Harry reached for the hidden pocket on the outside of his left boot. Ron reached for his own on the outside of his right boot. They suddenly exchanged panicked expressions.

"That _Hermy_ girl!" Ron exclaimed.

"Her_mione_," said a familiar voice. "Looking for these?"

Hermione was leaning against the back door of their office holding up 2 golden keys.

"I feel _sooooooo_ used," Harry groaned as he climbed out of the bin.

"No _wonder_ she spent all that time on her knees," Ron muttered.

* * *

Chapter 9 **Sacking the Ministry monkey**

"The Ministry would very much like your cooperation in this case, gentleman," Hermione said as she approached them. "If you would be as kind as to hand over the urn..."

"I don't think so," Lavender snorted. "We're not doing this for the ministry and we're not doing it for the greater good."

"Yeah," Romilda added. "We're with _Won-Won_...er...with Mister Weasley all the way."

"Friends of ours are in trouble, Miss _Oxford_," Harry chimed in. "_**We'll**_ be the ones to decide on _**OUR**_ best course of action."

Putting on his best smile, Ron approached Hermione in as relaxed a manner as possible. Zacharias had slowly made his way behind her...

"Now look, love," he started as he approached within arms reach. "Why don't you and I step into my office and discuss the situation."

Crinkling her brow, Hermione responded, "I'm not discussing _anything_ with you until you'd had a bath."

Zacharias sprung into action hitting Hermione low and knocking her off her feet as Ron grabbed her from behind and slapped the keys out of her hand. They flew in wide arc right into Michael's hand. Dumbfounded, Harry watched as the Ron and Zacharias struggled to pull Hermione towards their van while Michael opened the rear doors.

"RONALD, WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Harry yelled.

"She's a bloody Ministry monkey!" Ron answered. "She could start all _kinds_ of trouble for us!"

"So you kidnap her?" said Harry. "**GOOD SOLUTION**!"

"Ohhhhhhhhh GOD, somebody get me a Glade spray bottle!" Hermione said panting as the stench of Ron and Zacharias overcame her.

Bending her over the bumper of the van, Michael took out a set of handcuffs and started to put them on. Hermione kicked backwards and scored with Michael's testicles.

"Oh you...!" Michael groaned he doubled over, feeling as if he was about to cough up a left nut. "Biaaaaaaaaaaaatch!"

Ron grabbed the cuffs but Harry took them away. Hermione then flung her head backwards and connected with Ron's chin and shoved Michael away, freeing herself.

"Look, I'm sorry for the plight Ginny is in but I _need_ that urn for my case," she pleaded. "I won't say _anything_ about your plans for rescuing her."

"You bet your scrawny _arse_ you won't!" said Lavender shortly before landing a right hook and knocking Hermione into the back of the van.

* * *

Chapter 10 **The Maltese Mushroom**

They all filed in into the van as Harry tried in vain to calm himself.

"MORONS!" Harry yelled at the rest of the group as he drove the van back to the _Bucket o' Blood_ Bar&Grill, _Notary Public_. "When they throw all our arses in Azakaban I'm gonna _demand_ they put me in the _furthest_ cell block from the lot o' ye!"

"She was _provoking_ me," Lavender offered. "Acting all high and mighty like that."

Lavender knelt before Michael on the floorboard behind Harry, reaching for his crotch.

"Does it hurt, Mikey?" she asked.

"Yes," Michael answered in a slightly high-pitched and off key voice but then grunted manly as Lavender rubbed his sore nuts.

Romilda rode shotgun next to Harry. Every now and then she eyed him as he drove. And every now and then Harry would turn the wheel sharply when making turns just to annoy them.

"It'll be alright, Harry," she tried to reassure him. "Does that..._scar_ hurt?"

Romilda reached for Harry's scar and stroked it as Ron looked on from the very back of the van. Romilda making moves on Harry? Lavender stroking Michael's _frick_ and _frack_? 'What about _me_?', he thought. Looking down at Hermione on the floorboard near Zacharias feet, Ron felt a little left out of the love loop.

Reaching for the gag on her Hermione's mouth, Zacharias tried to make nice and remove it.

"Is that bet-", he started to say only to have Hermione bite his finger. "Arrrrrrrrrrgh! Children of the CORN! $hyte!"

Freeing his finger from her mouth, Zacharias grabbed Ron's arm and traded places.

"That wasn't very ladylike," Ron chided.

"And your odoriferous emanations are not exactly _manly_," Hermione shot back. "_Won Won_."

Harry finally reached the _Bucket o' Blood_ Bar&Grill, _Notary Public_ and pulled into the back just as Romilda tried to stroke his scar again.  
He grabbed her hand and was about to chide her. Romilda braced for it, hanging her head down in shame.

"Romilda," he started. "I appreciate you trying to cheer me up and all but..."

Harry stopped. A loud chorus of men singing _"The Minstrel Boy"_ caught his ear.

"I think...we better get outta here," Michael remarked.

It was too late. Harry's window was shattered by a tire iron as he tried to get the key back in and gun the motor. A large pair of Irish hands was at his throat and his cohorts were starting to exit in similar fashion. Ernie McMillan yanked Ron by his red locks out of the van window just as he threw a canvas sheet over Hermione to hide her.

"SHYTE!" yelled Ernie as he dropped Ron face first into the pavement. "SHTYE!SHYTE!SHYTE!"

Ernie stepped away, wiping his hands on his jeans.

"What are ye' on about?" asked Seamus as he approached.

"I mean they _SMELL_ like shyte, Seamus!" Ernie bellowed as he retreated back with the dozen goons Seamus brought with them. "WoooOOOoOoooOooOo...! They smell worse than one of Cormac's farts, mate!"

Harry crawled over to Ron as Romilda and Lavender cowered behind Michael and Zacharias.

"Where's Hermione?" he whispered.

"Hiding in the back, mate," Ron answered.

"What ye be doin' crawlin' about the ground like a pair of great woolly sheep?!" Seamus asked them. "Get off yer knees, ya Limey bastards!"

Standing up slowly, Harry and Ron rested their backs against the van with the rest of their crew as Harry reached behind Ron and dropped the keys on Hermione's head. He knew her type...Ministry super spy...expertly unlocking her cuffs when the opportunity presented itself. His suspicions were confirmed as Hermione reached up and stroked his hand to signal him.

"Now...let's be friends," Seamus began. "Hand over the TOADSTOOL and we'll leave ye be."

"The what?" Ron asked.

"I thought it was mush-", Zacharias began but stopped when Romilda kicked his shin hard. "Ouch, goddamnit!"

Ron turned around and opened the back door.

"Um...I thought it was here," he said as he saw Hermione making her way to the driver's seat. "Um...maybe it's on the right passenger seat, Romilda?"

Romilda knew the signal and went to pretend to look. Lavender went and pretended to check the middle row of seats. Harry did the same. Michael and Zacharias helped Ron inspect the back. Suddenly Hermione gunned the motor back to life and peeled out of the parking lot.

"FOUND it!" Michael teased as he held the mushroom urn aloft and gave Seamus the finger and started singing with _"Rule Brittania" _with Ron.

* * *

Chapter 11 **CORNERED!**

Driving down Travis St., the merry group whooped it up as they headed back to the office.

"Well," said Ron. "It doesn't get any closer than _that_!"

**CrrrrrrrrrrrrASH!!!!!!!**

Draco's goons smashed their truck into their van, crumpling the front silly and ramming them into a fire hydrant. After a moment to recover, Harry could see Draco and his goons exitting and coming towards them. Harry crawled to the back of the van.

"Ron!" he said trying to shake his friend back to reality. "We gotta go, mate!"

Michael and Zacharias thought ahead. Zacharias placed the mushroom urn in a canvas sack as Michael placed a football in another. Romilda and Lavender helped a wounded Hermione out the passenger side as Draco and his goons inched closer.

"Potter!" Draco called out. "It's over! Only _I_ can save your sorry arse from Finnegan's Brigade!"

Harry and his Marauders gathered in the middle of the street as the hydrant rained down cool water on all of them. At least their stench was going away. Looking in Draco's direction, their hearts sank as Draco held his wand at Ginny's neck.

"Go ahead, you cockroach!" Hermione challenged. "The Ministry's placed a spell on Whitechapel and the surrounding 6 counties. You're as weak as the average _muggle_ now, Draco!"

"_Stupefy_!" yelled Draco, pointing his wand at Hermione.

Hermione spoke the truth. None of their wands would work now. And from down the street came the sound of an approaching mob. Unfortunately...it was _Finnegan's_ mob. Suddenly another pickup truck came careening down the street and smashed right into Draco's, sending it tumbling. In it were the remaining Marauders, _One-Ear_ George, Billy _the Wolf_, Charlie the _Animal_, Cho Chang and tagging along were Dean Thomas and Luna Lovegood. Taking advantage of the moment, Ginny broke free of Draco's grip and ran into the waiting arms of Harry.

"Good timing, bros!" exclaimed Ron.

As they all exitted the van and ran towards Harry's group, _Finnegan's Brigade_ closed in. And from the other side of the street came more of Draco's goons led by _Buster_ Crabbe and Goyle.

"Potter!" Seamus bellowed. "That TOADSTOOL will do a lot of good for me Irish kin, lad! I only seek to assist me countrymen who have suffered from the serious blight fungus that did a number on our POTATO crops, man. You'd be doin' an entire nation a world of good, Potter!"

"I may not be _**Irish**_, Potter," called Draco. "But I know a load of BLLLLLLLLLLllllllllarney when I hear it! _**I**_ wouldn't lie to you. I want the TOADSTOOL for my own selfish self interests! Whaddya say, Potter?!"

"Well, my gosh...what a choice," joked Harry. "Maybe you two _barnacle_heads should consider taking a course in _diplomacy_!"

"SPLIT!" yelled Charlie as Michael tossed one of the canvas bags to Luna. Both Cho and Michael along with Charlie, Bill, Dean, Luna and George ran down one alley as Harry, Ron, Romilda, Lavender, Zacharias and Hermione ran down another.

Seamus's crew of about 60 men split into two groups as did Draco's equally sized groups, chasing Potter and his comrades down both alleys. All through the chase, both Englishmen and Irishmen traded blows in pursuit of a toadstool-shaped urn in which the contents were unknown to all.

"Well _this_ is turning into one hell of an evenin', eh?!" Ron gasped as both him and Harry ran along either side of Zacharias, who was holding a canvas bag like a football. They rounded the corner and ran straight into a five of Draco's goons. Michael lost the bag to Buster but a swift quick in the nuts later, _Romilda_ picked it up.

Seeing Hermione twenty feet away she called out, "Go _long_!"

As Romilda did her best impression of _Tom Brady_, Lavender and Ginny threw themselves at the feet of Draco's goons as they started to pursue, making them land on their faces, as Harry and Ron recovered. Helping the girls to their feet, the chase continued.

* * *

Chapter 12 **RUGBY in the streets**

Gasping for breath as they rounded a corner, Billy's group found themselves forced to tangle with six of Seamus' goons. Cho went _Bruce Lee_ on 'em and jumped high, double-kicking two of them in the face as Michael picked up a nearby trashcan and knocked another 2 down with it. Dean bodyslammed another into the pavement as Luna held onto the canvas bag like a baby. Billy felt his primal instincts gushing forth as the moon rose high in the night sky and bellowed out his best wolf howl. But the laughing from Seamus' bunch made him look at himself.

Sure...he had the ears and some hair...but he was nowhere near the size of his _full grown_ werewolf self. Looking up at the moon, he discovered why.

"Oh buggers, Bill," groaned Charlie. "It's only a bloody 'alf moon tonight."

The chase continued as they neared the wharves on 7th Avenue with _Finnegan's Brigade_ in hot pursuit. Sirens and flashing lights were heard and seen as 2 police boats approached, one of them with Cornelius Fudge standing on the bow with a megaphone.

"Cease these shenanigans, _NOW_!" he bellowed.

"Do you _trust_ him, Bill?" Charlie asked.

"About as far as I can _throw_ 'im, bro," Bill answered.

"Hey, 'old on you!" Fudge called out to Bill and his bunch.

Coming up Mitre Street, Harry and his bunch fared no better as Draco and his goons caught up to Hermione who pitched the canvas bag to Romilda, who pitched it to Ron, who pitched it to Zacharias, who pitched it to Harry who fumbled it away after being _clothes-lined_ by Goyle. As four of Draco's goons dove for it, Michael kicked it to Lavender who scooped it up and continued running.  
Unfortunately Cormac McLaggen tackled her down and the canvas bag emptied its contents...a football.

"It's a bloomin' _DECOY_!" Cormac yelled as he waved off the other goons.

As the throng neared the wharves, they could see little Luna running frantically towards City Hall with Bill and his bunch guarding her.

"Get it, damn ye!" Seamus yelled. "GET the toadstool!"

Harry and his bunch caught up to the crowd of English and Irish. Elbows and fists caught faces, chins and ribcages as the scene degenerated into a no-holds barred _rugby_ match. Luna lost it to Ernie McMillan as he yanked her hair.

"I've got the TOADSTOOL, lads!" he cheered, just as Goyle elbowed his face.

It bounced off the ground a few times and fell out of the canvas bag. It's antique brass finish leaving no doubt that it was the object of their collective madness now. Draco pounced on it only to be stepped on and mauled by the moving mass of bodies. It found it's way near Dean who tried to dive for it as English and Irish arms reached out and locked together in a what amounted to a half-assed _scrum_. As it rolled away...it inexplicably opened and came to rest at the feet of Cornelius Fudge.

"Wha...?" he muttered as he picked it up. "Where are the bloody _contents_!?"

A loud crescendo of groans and cuss words echoed in the night as Fudge threw it back down in disgust. The goons broke off into smaller groups and eventually disappeared back to their collective hideouts leaving Seamus and Draco to end things between them.

Bleeding and covered with dust and grime, Seamus turned to Draco and simply said, "It's _your_ bloody fault, ye stupid blighter."

"Until next time," Draco answered, dusting himself off. Turning to leave, he added, "You little Irish _prick_."

* * *

Chapter 13 **The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of**

"Well that's _that_, eh lads?" Fudge said to Harry and his Marauders. "You would've gone a long way with the Ministry."

"Too bad about their friend _Neville_, right?" Hermione spat back.

"Oh come now, Agent Granger," said Fudge. "Your assignment was the urn. That's _all_. Now come along...I'll give you a boat ride back to the Ministry."

"I'd rather _walk_, thank you," Hermione answered.

As he turned to leave, a bruised, battered and bleeding Ron picked up the urn and sobbed lightly.

"What the bloody hell, mates?" he groaned.

"All this for an empty fargin' brass mushroom," Charlie added.

Taking the mushroom away from Ron, Luna rubbed it with her sweater and sighed. Then she took her sweater off and wrapped it.

"You're taking it?" Harry asked.

"For a brief moment in time, this was an object of men's fascination," Luna started. "It's been said by the tribes of bushmen in Maki-Maki that such an object is charmed."

"The bushmen of..."

"Never mind, mate," said Ron as he brushed past Harry.

"It's now the _stuff that dreams are made of_," Luna said as she walked back towards town.

As they started to follow her, Harry pulled Ginny to him and kissed her deeply.

"_That_...is the stuff that dreams are made of," he whispered in her ear.

Racked with uncontrollable sobs, Ginny hugged him tight for support and kissed him back. After trailing kissing up and down the nape of his neck and along his jawline and back to his mouth she finally spoke.

"M-my place, love?" she asked.

"Yes," Harry answered as he took her hand and followed the rest of the group.

Ron caught up with Hermione who had developed a limp. The right leg of her slacks had been torn open and a large gash was showing. He offered his arm as he approached only to catch her frantically trying to fold a piece of paper and stuff it in her pocket. It was obviously the contents of the mushroom urn.

"Well well," he laughed. "You're not a Ministry monkey after all."

Pulling him into an alley, she whispered to him, "Listen...there's a mole in the Ministry. There's more to Professor Longbottom's find than mere dreams of a bountiful supply of _Polyweed_. Will...will you help me?"

Ron pulled her close and kissed her passionately. It was a gamble he was willing to take.

"W-was that..." she began, feeling weak in the knees."Was that your way of letting me down or...?"

"I'll _gladly_ help ye, doll," he answered. "If I can taste those soft lips some more."

Hermione tried to rationalize her actions. Perhaps she'd had enough of the prim and proper _Oxford_ lads she was used to dating, or being surrounded by crowds of well-dressed playboys and tennis pros. Perhaps what she'd been missing all this time was a down-to-earth uncouth _scoundrel_. Whatever the case, she smiled and kissed him back.

As for Ron...this Hermione was a _mystery_.

No wonder the attraction.

After all...both he _and_ Harry had made _mystery_ their life's work.

Chapter 13 **A Pleasant Respite**

Limping all the way back to the office, Hermione welcomed Ron's eager help but was still unsure of whether or not to trust him.

"I trust you'll keep your partner in the loop?" she asked.

"Harry and I have no secrets," he replied. "I just hope Ginny can straighten his arse out this time around."

"I'm happy Ginny's safe," she continued. "But we've much work to do. Neville's assistants were all taken into protective custody by the Ministry."

Ron locked the door behind them and pinned her against it, raining kisses along her jaw line before planting his mouth over hers.

"Ron!" she breathed as she pulled her head to the side. "Professor Neville…the case…the contents of the mushroom!"

"It can wait," Ron answered as he planted his mouth over hers. "_This_ can't."

Hermione _almost_ let her guard down…but her instincts were too strong. And Ron discovered that firsthand as she bent his thumb back and twisted his wrist painfully.

"Arrrrrrrrgh, alright…I give!" he squealed as she stopped him from retrieving the contents of her pocket.

Ron was kicking himself inside but was glad he at least got to get in a little snogging. He mentally prepared himself for another chiding.

Of course, he wasn't prepared for Hermione ripping open his shirt and pushing him over the arm of the waiting room couch and onto his back. Nor did it prepare him for Hermione straddling him and raking her nails gently down the front of his bare chest. Who was he to complain? He decided it was a game of _Cat and Mouse_ as he bided his time waiting for another opportunity to get into her pocket. He reached down and fondled her right buttock through her slacks but didn't go for the pocket just yet. And besides, she had quite a firm, squeezable bottom. A few expert moves later and Hermione had Ron in his skivvies. He tried to respond in kind only to have her slap his hands away and remove her slacks herself. Damn! _That_ forces a change in tactics he thought. But after Hermione removed her blouse and teasingly removed her bra in the most painfully slow fashion, he resigned to enjoying himself instead. He reached for and rolled them both off the couch and onto the carpet. Those sweet, soft lips were irresistible as he planted his mouth over hers again and gently parted them with his tongue. Her tongue had a hint of a peppermint taste as he rubbed his against it.

Then he stopped.

This is too good.

To _hell_ with the contents of her pocket, he thought.

Cradling her in his arms, he gently picked her up and carried her up the steps to his office/bedroom. Whatever happened, he hoped she didn't think him pathetic in that he was so frugal he refused to rent his own apartment….

Chapter 14 **A Whole Lotta Love At Ginny's Place**

Ginny fumbled with the lock but finally managed to open it. Harry simply smiled and followed her in.

"Heh, I _told_ ya I'd get it open," she said and smiled at him.

Harry looked around the apartment. It was a bloody mess, he thought.

"I've…been a bit lazy," she said, sensing his displeasure at the mess.

"It's alright, love," he answered. "My efficiency apartment is no better."

"Efficiency? What happened to your apartment on Penny Lane?"

"I…gave it up. Too many…memories."

Harry hung his head and leaned against the wall. Ginny moved closer and lifted his chin. Her hopes for being a pillar for him to lean on were dashed to pieces as she looked into his eyes and felt his anguish. He tried to stiffen up but the tears welling in his eyes gave him away. It was more than Ginny could take at the moment and she let her tears run freely. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him repeatedly on the lips while running her fingers through his hair.

"God, I missed you," he sobbed.

Ginny pulled him away from the wall and forced his lips apart with her tongue. Harry felt her hunger as she sucked on his tongue so forcefully it hurt. Their hands explored each other as she reached under his t-shirt and he under her blouse. But as Ginny pushed him towards the living room couch, he tried to steady himself and stuck out his hand to prevent a nasty fall. Unfortunately, his hand landed on Michael's neck as he and Lavender hid there under a blanket.

"What the…!?" Harry gasped and reared back.

"WE'RE SORRY!" Lavender squealed as she pulled the blanket towards her to cover herself.

"YOU'RE SCREWING ON MY £1500 LEATHER SOFA!" Ginny bellowed.

Just then Zacharias came strolling into the living room completely naked.

"Hey, what's all the…YIKES!" he squealed and retreated to the rear bedroom.

"Hey!" Harry called as he ran after him. He caught a glimpse of Romilda's naked form just before Zacharias slammed the door shut.

"As if this evening couldn't get any _goofier_," Harry muttered.

He could hear Romilda groaning and Zacharias trying to comfort her. Oh well, who was _he_ to spoil another's ones fun? He might as well take Ginny out to an all-night diner or something he thought as he slowly made his way back to the living room.

Returning to the living room, he was puzzled to see Ginny, dressed in a bathrobe, merely handing Lavender and Michael a bottle of _Febreze_ and a towel.

"We're very, very, very, sorry, Ginny," Michael groaned. "We just kinda made it a habit to uh…watch your apartment while you were gone. We didn't have a key so we kinda…pick the lock to get in when we needed to."

"No wonder my lock's been hard to open," Ginny muttered.

Harry tried his best to smile as Ginny looked his way. He wasn't quite prepared for Ginny taking about two steps in his direction before dropping her bathrobe to the ground and walking towards him stark naked.

"I promise we'll clean up and…" Lavender began but the sight of Ginny's bare bottom made her stop.

Ginny pinned Harry against the door of the master bedroom and rained wet kisses up and down the nape of his neck. She also gave in to the urge to wrap her legs around his waist. Harry clumsily reached behind to open the door. He and Michael exchanged awkward glances shortly before the door opened and he fell onto his back with Ginny wrapped around him.

'What the heck', Harry decided.

They _all_ earned it tonight.

* * *

Chapter 15 **Cat and Mouse**

Hermione eased herself off the fold-away bed which disguised itself as a wardrobe to save space. It was time for a good little spy like her to sneak off. Unfortunately, the cheap bed wouldn't let her. The minute her weight was off...the bed unforgivingly closed, sending Ron in an ungraceful arc into the bed's folded state.

Frantically pulling it back down, Hermione put her weight on it and immediately checked on him.

"Ron?!" she gasped. "Mister Weasley?!"

She moaned and cupped his cheeks, alternately slapping his left cheek and his right.

"Please be alright," she groaned as she continued he frantic slapping.

"I'll be fine once you stop slapping me!" Ron said wearily as he shook out the cobwebs. "I had this weird dream I was shot over a wall by a catapult."

"Um...well, I got up to use the bathroom and the bed flipped shut with you on it," Hermione explained.

Ron giggled making Hermione let go of his cheeks and cross her arms defensively.

"Yeah, like you weren't going downstairs to make sure that Ottendorf cipher from the mushroom wasn't still in your pocket," he said with a grin.

"OHhhhhh you...you **TOAD!**" Hermione shot back and stood up quickly. Good thing Ron was prepared and simply rolled off the bed as it snapped shut.

"Ohhhh c'mon, love," he said with grin. "You enjoyed the _Ronald Weasley Express_, eh?"

"One night with me does not a stud make," Hermione as she put her bra and blouse back on.

"I hate a girl who talks backwards," Ron muttered.

Ron pulled on his boxer shorts and sat backwards on a chair, leaning on the backrest. Hermione eyed him in the mirror as he seemed to enjoy watching her get dressed. Finally, she realized what his silly grin was all about. Her slacks and panties were nowhere to be found.

"Okay, where are my bloomin' slacks?" she asked with her hands on her waist. "_AND_ my panties?"

Ronald reached into the pocket of last night's jeans crumpled on the floor and took out a piece of paper which has obviously been torn in two.

"First...show me the other half," he ordered with a silly grin on his face.

"Ohhhh you..." she fumed."Just when I thought you've gone as low as you can possibly go, you find a _basement door_!"

Ron flipped the bed back down and sat on the edge. He then motioned her to come closer. Hermione did and waited with her eyebrows crinkled together in rage. Ron then tapped the bed with his hand and Hermione complied by sitting down next to him.

"H-haven't you had enough?" she asked.

"Lie down, gorgeous," he whispered in her ear. "Something about you has me hungry for more."

She did as she was told but the minute Ron tried to lay down next to her, she seized the paper from his hand and hopped off the bed making it close up on Ron once again. _This_ time she latched it shut.

Pulling a drawer open, Hermione grabbed one of Ron's boxer shorts, put it on and grabbed a pair of his jeans to wear. The sound of Ron's frantic banging gave her a sense an immense sense of satisfaction. She couldn't help giggling like a schoolgirl all the way back to her car she parked in the back alley.

* * *

Chapter 16 **Early Morning at Ginny's**

Michael awoke early, hoping to get dibs on the bathroom but found it locked. Inside was Zacharias.

"Who's there?" Zacharias called out.

"It's Michael."

"I've got an awful conundrum, Mike. Simply _awful_!"

"Well open the door, mate."

Zacharias opened it a crack and Michael poked his head in. The sight of Zacharias wearing Romilda's panties caused him to burst out laughing.

"Romilda was stark, raving mad about last night and took my bloody underwear with her before I woke up!" Zacharias explained.

Just then Harry was coming down the hall wiping the sleep out of his eyes. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Michael with his head in the doorway laughing like an idiot.

"Um...Michael?" he asked. "Some people don't _like_ it when you do that."

"Harry, c'mere, mate!" Michael answered and waved Harry over.

"No!" Zacharias protested. "C'mon, now!"

Harry and Michael forced the door open as Zacharias tried to keep it shut. Harry was a little more polite. At least he wasn't cackling like a hyena the way Michael was.

"Umm...Zach...you're not supposed to boil your underwear," Harry tried to say with a straight face. "They _will_ shrink."

"Damn it Harry, lend me a pair!" Zacharias pleaded. "Or at least a pair of jeans! Romilda _took_ mine!"

"What the hell am _I_ supposed to wear?" Harry laughed. "This is _Ginny's_ place, mate. Not _mine_."

"Well what about _you_?" Zacharias asked Michael.

"I kinda soiled 'em after last night's impromptu _rugby_ match," Michael answered in between bouts of extreme giggling.

"Then what the bloody hell are you wearing under your jeans?!" Zacharias bellowed.

"Nothing!" Michael answered.

The commotion finally woke up the girls as Ginny and Lavender came strolling towards them.

"What's all _this_, then?" Ginny asked.

And the rest of the morning went by with most of the bunch leaving Ginny's with cheeks sore and sides aching from uncontrollable laughter. Lucky for Zacharias, Ginny kept an old pair of Harry's jeans in her closet.

* * *

Chapter 17 **The Cipher**

Harry parked the Studebaker and he and his cohorts exitted in their usual fashion. All except Zacharias, who was pausing every now and then to pick at his buttcrack.

"Oh _shut up_, Michael!" he shouted as Michael let loose a barrage of giggles.

Harry tried to sip his morning coffee with a straight face as they entered their headquarters. Harry went for a refill at the coffee machine as Michael and Zacharias each grabbed a styrofoam cup. Ron's banging caught their attention. It was subtle at first.

"What the bloody hell is _that_?" Michael asked.

"OH, it's probably that stupid rat trying to get out again," Harry yawned.

But Ron's banging become more insistent and furious.

"That's a bloody big rat," Zacharias said as he put down his coffee and pulled out his wand.

Harry led them up the stairs and with wands at the ready, traced the sound to Ron's office/bedroom. They entered to the sound of banging and muffled shouts for help.

"Blimey...have we got a boggart?" Harry said aloud as they peered in to see the foldaway bed latched shut and shaking. With Michael and Zacharias standing by with wands at the ready, Harry unlatched Ron's foldaway bed, opened the wardrobe style door holding it in and helped Ron fall back out.

"Crikey, Ron...I knew that bed would get the better of you someday," said Harry as he helped Ron to his feet.

"It was that...Hermi-...ohhhhhhhhhh...," Ron started but began to go weak in the knees and had to be helped by Michael. "Head drain. Bloody _sucks_ being upside down for an hour or two!"

"I-I'll set her straight Ron, no worries," Harry reassured him.

"Don't bother mate," Ron said with a faraway look in his eyes. "She's...something else."

Ron's blank stare gave way to a crooked smile as he got dressed. His crooked smile needed no further explanation as far as Harry was concerned.

"HARRY!" Ginny yelled as she came in the door and caused all of them to jump back and point their wands.

"Please don't do that," said Ron. "It's been a long night."

"Oh, sorry," Ginny apologized. "Dean and Luna are downstairs. They received a strange parcel in the mail last night."

As they all filed out of the room, Zacharias waited back so he could pick his buttcrack again. Ron caught the motion.

"Itchin' fer action, Zach?" he joked.

Zacharias merely gave him the raspberry and followed him back downstairs.

"Hi guys!" Dean and Luna said in unison.

On the table before them was a large box addressed to..."The Elder" c/o Luna Lovegood.

"When we saw 'The Elder', we knew it had to be a code for _you_, Harry," Dean explained.

Luna helped Harry open the box and inside was yet _another_ mushroom urn with a double-key configuration. Only this one was _silver_ instead of gold.

"Wow, another _toadstool_!" Luna beamed. Also inside was a letter personally addressed to Luna from Neville. She opened it and read it to herself as Harry and Ron fetched their keys from their boot pockets again. They eagerly unfolded the paper contents of the urn as Luna smiled to herself while reading. Dean, unfortunately, was teasingly looking over Luna's and reading her letter out loud.

"Dear..._Blue Eyes_...I miss the feel of your soft skin against my cheeks...and the feel of your creamy thighs around my-"

**SLAP!**

Luna gave him a well-deserved slap and folded her letter back up and slipped it in her purse. Ginny stifled a laugh but Michael, still giggling inside over Zacharias' panty-debacle let out a loud guffaw.

"Crikey, _'Tails of lizards, ears of swine, chicken gizzards soaked in brine'_," Harry said aloud as he read from his piece.

"_Now are eyes are thus entwined, thy will is broken thou art mine_," Ron said aloud reading from his.

Suddenly both papers glowed and the letters upon them transformed into the names of _mostly_ familiar documents.

"The Magna Carta...The U.S. Constitution...Dante's Inferno," Harry found on his.

"Hamlet...The Time Machine...Professor Peabody's Guide to Wooing Women," Ron found on his. "What?! Professor Peabody's _what_?"

"Well, '_TMC_' on your Ottendorf cipher obviously refers to _The Magna Carta_, Ron" said Harry.

"Yes, but I can't make it work without the other 'alf of the cipher," Ron groaned. "And _you-know-who_ has 'em, mate."

Just then Hermione strolled in with a two baskets full of croissants, kolaches and various edible sundries.

"You're right, Ron," Zacharias said with a grin. "She _is_ something."

"C'mon Michael," said Dean. "Let's grab a croissant and fetch these books from our private library upstairs."

"Are you sure a copy of _Professor Peabody's Guide to Wooing Women_ is back there?" Michael asked as they filled their coffee cups and grabbed a croissant.

"Quite sure, mate," Dean answered. "Ain't that right, Zach?"

"SHUT UP, Dean!" said Zach as he fumbled with his buttcrack again.

Ron strolled to Hermione who was smiling at him sideways while spreading cream cheese on a bagel.

"I kinda missed ya after you left," he said to her in a hushed tone.

"I'm sorry for locking you in," she answered back with an adorable blush. "It just...came to my mind and it was just too funny not to try. And I knew you'd be ok..._Won Won_."

Fetching the other half of the Ottendorf cipher, Hermione gave it to him and gave him a peck on the lips before going to fetch herself a cup of coffee.

* * *

**Chapter 18 ****Beware of Malfoys bearing gifts?**

Working into the late evening hours, Harry's crew managed to piece together the hidden message sent by Neville.

Luna, Cho, Lavender and Romilda entered their headquarters and the smell of burgers and fries wafted in.

"Oi, I could use a little meal right now," Ron sighed.

"What _is_ this stuff?" Harry asked as he sampled some fries.

"It's _American_ fare, I think," Cho answered. "I figured we'd get a variety after that sauerkraut and sausages we had for lunch."

"Where'd it come from?" asked Ron as he chomped on a BigMac.

"Oh, some _Scottish_ place," Lavender thought. "Mc_Dougal_'s I think."

"Mc_Donald_'s," Michael and Zacharias corrected her as they took their food to their favorite spot, a table situated upon a balcony overlooking the main office below.

"This cipher's a pain in the arse, Harry," Dean commented. "It's got plants and compounds I haven't seen since our days at Hogwarts. And instructions on mixing."

"That's not the worst of it," Harry added. "According to Ron's final translation, we have to wait for another _mushroom_ to finish the formula and then _another_ for the accompanying spells."

As if on cue, the office door opened and in walked Draco, _Buster_ Crabbe and Goyle.

"Perhaps I can speed the process, lads," Malfoy offered. To his right, flashing a smile only a _mother_ could love, Goyle was holding a package that, like the previous, was addressed to _The Elder_ c/o Luna Lovegood, The Quibbler 1313 13th Street, London SW1P 1AE England. Four other goons accompanied them.

"I've got to hand it to Longbottom," Malfoy continued. "It took a while to break the enchantment he placed on the locks."

Reaching over Dean's shoulder, Malfoy tried to sample one of his fries. Offended, Dean grabbed his wrist and bent it backwards.

"As they say in America," Dean started. "There are _two_ things in this world you _never_ touch! ONE of them just happens to be another man's fries!"

"Okay, okay okay!" Draco yelped and sighed with relief once Dean let go. He then waved off the goons as they approached.

Harry waved Michael and Zacharias off as they watched from above, drawing their wands.

Taking the package from Goyle, Draco opened it to reveal a jade mushroom urn. Opening it, he handed the paper contents to Harry.

"Now...I know who's keeping Neville and-"

"We've already deduced it's Seamus and his _Brigade_, Malfoy," Harry interrupted.

"Oh no, Potter. Longbottom was snatched from Seamus' grasp during our impromptu _rugby_ match last night."

A sad whimper came from Luna's lips as Hermione hugged her. Harry eyed Draco carefully. It was one thing to get Neville back, it was another to trust Malfoy whose war with the Finnegan's Brigade tore the country in two after the fall of Lord Voldermort and his Death Eater Mafia.

"No...don't tell me...," Ron started.

"I'm afraid so, Weasley," Draco continued as he seemed to hang his head down in defeat. "We found our boys back at the Canning Factory dead. And I'm sure Seamus' group down by that Buck's Row _toilet_ they call a headquarters fared no better."

"Wh-who is he talking about, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Don Bartolo Aragon de Segovia," Draco answered. "They were...working on a joint venture with the Death Eater Mafia years ago when you took Lord Voldermort down. The..._translation_ sheds a little light on it."

Hermione pulled Harry to her and whispered in his ear, "He probably doesn't know about the _fourth_-"

"Mushroom?" Draco interrupted. "Don Bartolo has it, agent Granger."

Spreading the translated papers over a table, Draco waved Harry and Ron over.

"The compound is not Longbottom's _discovery_, Potter. It's a _re_-discovery. And one that has worldwide repercussions."

"Orchidaeceae Mortiferam," Harry muttered.

"It's a _"death"_ orchid," Draco explained. "The final ingredient required for a terrible spell. Neville's _re_-discovery was what Bartolo's people have been searching for, for generations. All they need now are the orchids. For centuries a secret order in Tibet kept the orchids hidden from the world. Longbottom's people happened upon them when they discovered the whereabouts of the ancient Xianhau Garden. It was within the ruins of the Zhong Monastery all these years."  
"Excuse me," Hermione chimed in. "What _exactly_ is this rare orchid?"

"Well, it's...toxic," Draco continued. "And in the hands of a wizard like Don Bartolo...a _genocidal_ weapon."

"Genocidal for...?" Hermione asked.

"Muggles," Draco answered. "And...and anyone with traces of Muggle blood in their bones."

"I would hardly think that a _Malfoy_ would give a damn about the well-being of..."

"Potter...may I...," Draco interrupted. For a split second, Harry and his bunch could swear they saw genuine _pain_ in Draco's eyes.

"May I speak to you alone?" Draco finished.

Harry followed Draco as he headed downstairs and out to his car. As Harry entered through the passenger side door he couldn't help but notice a pile of gifts in the back seat along with some opened boxes of baby toys. Harry picked one up that had been wrapped poorly.

"To little..._Scorpius_...from "Uncle" Gregory?" Harry read aloud.

Harry looked over at Draco. He was staring blankly ahead. The expression on his face was one of defeat.

"Draco?" Harry asked.

"He's due next month," Draco explained. "Pansy and I were so...happy."

"And...your father?"

"He found out some time ago that Pansy's sister is a...muggle. He told me to break it off. We've been...secretly _married_ for 3 years, Potter. My child...he's..."

"I understand," Harry confided as Draco broke down and sobbed.

Harry couldn't help but feel remorseful as Draco picked up a blue teddy bear with _"Scorpius"_ embroidered on its chest and rubbed it's head.

"H-how are things with...Ginny?" Draco asked.

"We're going to be okay," Harry answered. "I...uh...need her more than she needs me."

Harry trailed off and found a bottle of _Crown Royal_ whiskey hanging from a basket attached to the glove compartment. He unscrewed the top and took a swig.

"She's pregnant, Potter," Draco announced suddenly, causing Harry to spit up.

Draco grabbed the bottle from Harry's hand, opened his window and threw it out.

"Dry up, Potter," he said. "For _both_ our sakes. I'll give you all the assistance I can but understand...my father is..._watching_ me all the bloody time."

"Does he know about _Scorpius_?"

"No!" said Draco and exitted the car.

As they entered the office it was plain to Harry's bunch that Draco was an emotional wreck and was trying very hard to hide it.

"We've...got work to do," Harry simply announced as he eyed Ginny from across the room.

As Draco and his goons filed out, Harry walked over to Ginny as the others read the information Draco provided on _Orchidaeceae Mortiferam_.

"What's wrong, love?" she asked as she put his arms around his neck.

"Nothing," he lied.

Once again Harry felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. Only _this_ time...he welcomed it.

* * *

Chapter 19 **The Unforseen Future**

"Whatever deal you made with Draco...I hope it's _worth_ it, mate," Ron said.

"Draco has a stake in this too, Ron," Harry answered. "Did you know Pansy's sister was a regular muggle?"

"Ummm...no," Ron said confused. "Is she the _excuse_ he's using?"

"No," Harry said as he started to close shop. "Their _child_."

Everyone in the room froze after Harry's revelation.

"No one can know, ok?" Harry asked them. "As much as I love family...I _loathe_ Lucius with a passion now."

Everyone exchanged nods and incredulous looks.

As most of the crew piled into Harry's Studebaker clunker, Harry looked back to see Ron and Hermione headed up the stairs.

"Ron?" Harry called out.

Ron just shrugged and smiled back at him as Hermione disappeared up the steps.

Harry drove Ginny home but made the excuse of checking in with Bill and Charlie to do something he was dying to do now. Luna was his final passenger in their carpool. She was sitting in the passenger side seat when Harry returned from escorting Ginny to her apartment.

"Luna?" Harry asked. "I will do whatever it is in my power to get Neville back, ok?"

"I know, Harry," she answered. "You're the most resourceful wizard I know."

"Only because I have a great team behind me," Harry said. "And I...could use some help. I'm gonna move back to Grimmauld Place and I need...remodeling ideas, if you don't mind?"

"I'd _love_ to help in any way," Luna assured him. "What do you need?"

Harry looked her in the eye and with a mixture of joy and pain, replied, "I need to make a nursery out of the den. The one next to the master bedroom downstairs."

"Oh my...Ginny?!" Luna exclaimed.

"Yes," Harry beamed. "And when all this is over...I'd...I'd very much like to live a normal family life."

Harry tried his best to choke back the tears but he was overcome with emotion and bawled like a baby. Luna hugged him and found herself bawling too.

"It's alright, Harry," she assured him. "You've got nothing to worry about, I swear!"

"You'll...you'll keep her safe for me too?" he asked, his voice quivering.

"Lavender, Romilda and Cho are _nuts_ about babies!" Luna answered. "We'd _all_ pitch in and we'll protect Ginny with our _lives_, Harry! And you should've _seen_ how wonderfully idiotic Michael and Zacharias were when Teddy was born!"

"Yeah," Harry sniffed. "I haven't been a very good godfather, have I?"

"You've been _lost_ for some time," Luna explained. "It's about..._family_. You have none. You lost them in the most awful way. We used to joke that it's enough to drive a guy to drink. _You_ were proof of that. But now..."

"Ginny and I and...we're going to be a family," Harry cried.

The ride to Grimmauld Place seemed longer than it had ever been.

There he would start anew.

There he hoped to cherish forever what he had been missing his whole life.

* * *

**Chapter 20 ****Hermione Exposed**

Ron awoke. Upon rolling to the left where he _thought_ Hermione's warm body would be, he bumped into a heavy box containing old case files. The clock on his desk indicated it was only 4:00 a.m. _Where'd that gorgeous brunette go?_, he thought. As quietly as possible he slid off the bed and put on a robe. Just then he heard Hermione in Harry's office talking on the telephone. He peered in and saw her looking as pretty as ever. Her disheveled hairdo gave her that sexy _fresh-out-of-bed_ look and her robe was open, exposing her left breast. As a small tent formed around the lower part of _his_ robe, he listened intently.

"Yes _M_, I'm aware of the dangers but in this case...," she spoke in a hushed tone. "No, neither Harry or any member of his team remembers me from their days at Hogwarts. The charm has _not_ worn off but I firmly believe their team are people we can trust...What do you mean?...NO!...WAIT!...NOT YET!...Noooooooooooo!"

Hanging up the phone, Hermione buried her face in her hands and moaned. Just then Ron's memories of her came back. Their friendship...their teamwork that brought down Lord Voldermort...and most of all...their _love_ for each other. But also the memory that she chose to undertake a dangerous mission whose conclusion has _yet_ to be realized. A choice that cost her Ron's love. A choice between building a future with the man she loved and securing the future for _all_ wizards and muggles alike. Ron continued to watch. Hermione was frantic. Her breath came in sobs and her tears ran freely and she sunk back in Harry's chair. It was all Ron could take. He may not have matured as much as he'd like over the past 9 years or so...but this was the great love of his life. _Damn_ them for making him forget her. He entered.

"Hermione?" he said in the most gentle voice he could muster.

Hermione stood up with a start and innocently closed her robe. As Ron approached she slowly retreated to the rear wall desperately fighting back tears. _What could she say after all this time?_

"I...I...ohhh Ronald...," she sobbed.

Ron finally came as close as he wanted to be, only to see Hermione hold up her hands and turn her face away. It was almost as if she was expecting him to fly into a rage and strike her. Putting his arms around her, he pulled her close and rubbed her back in slow circles.

"I'm so...I'm so sorry, Ronald...I...," Hermione sobbed.

"Shhhhhhh...it's okay," Ron assured her.

"Do you still..._love_ me?" Hermione asked as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Hermione needn't ask further as Ron planted his mouth over hers and kissed her deeply.

"I love you," said Ron as his tears began to flow. "And when this is all over...I'm never losing you again."

Ron pulled her away from the wall and carried her in his arms back towards his bedroom/office.

"I'll never leave you again," Hermione muttered as she hugged him around the neck and sobbed.

Across town at Ginny's, Harry and Ginny awoke with a start.

"Hermione?" they blurted out in unison.

Across the hall Lavender and Michael did the same but soon fell asleep again.

But poor Zacharias...

"Hermione," he gasped as he neared climax. A pity he was deep into making love with Romilda. Suffice it to say, it was a most inappropriate time to utter another woman's name.

Shoving him off at the last second, Romilda pulled on a robe and left.

"Wha?...wait!" Zacharias pleaded. "ROMILDA! It's _not_ what you _think_! ROMILDAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

**Chapter 21 ****Luck o' the Irish**

Lavender waited impatiently at _Percy's Cafe_ on Brompton. Knowing the grand plan of Don Bartolo made it imperative that the team utilized all their resources. When Cormac McLaggen finally walked in, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Not one to trust a double agent, Harry and Draco sent Michael, Zacharias, Goyle and Buster to watch her back. Lavender strategically chose a table close to the bar so the boys could listen in and if need be, spring into action. They all knew what was at stake and from what Cho could see from her booth in the south corner of the cafe, they seemed to get along just fine. Zacharias' constant fiddling with his buttcrack was making her gag.

"What the hell, mate?" Michael whispered in Zacharias' ear.

"She made me bloody wear 'em again!" Zacharias hissed back. "All because I shouted Hermione's name last night!"

"Oi, shut up, you two," Goyle whispered. "And quit with the bloody pistachios, Buster. He's coming."

Cormac made his way to Lavender's table and sat down.

"Hello, Lavender," he said as he sat down.

"You're about two bloody hours late, Cormac," Lavender chided. "Did you get the news to Seamus or not?"

"He believed me, love," Cormac answered as a waiter stopped at their table. "Scotch and soda, on the rocks. Still...he wants the formula for mixing English Ivy and Tibetan Magoomba root."

"Will your guys back off?" Lavender continued. "Or do we have another _rugby_ match to look forward to?"

"I dunno, love," Cormac went on as he touched Lavender's wrist. "Tight little English crumpet like ye could try a little harder to convince me, eh?"

Michael started to get up but Goyle held him back.

"I've got these," Lavender said as she brushed his hand away. From a little satchel she produced pictures taken from the an office building at the corner of Chudleigh & Bromley. It was across the street from their headquarters on Bromley. The pictures showed Harry and Ron reviewing the contents of the first two mushrooms with clear closeups of the Ivy/Root mixing instructions right down to proportions, heating times and spells.

"Lovely," Cormac said as he flipped through the pile of photos. "Are ye still with that loser Cormer?"

This time it took Goyle _and_ Zacharias to hold Michael back.

"That's really none of your business, Cormac," Lavender sighed as she once again had to pull her wrist out of his grip.

"Ohhh c'mon, now," he persisted. "Add fifty pounds and he's about as ugly as that fat arse _Goyle_."

Goyle let go of Michael and listened more intently this time.

"I mean, sure...Goyle did a fine job helpin' ta raise Crabbe's little nephew _Buster_," Cormac continued. "Too bad the chap is even _uglier_ than his dear departed uncle."

The sound of barstools hitting the floor, made Cormac laugh. He stood up quickly and positioned himself behind Lavender.

"Ye lads _suck_ at surveillance, by the way," he teased as Goyle's face was now red with fury.

To further goad the foursome, Cormac bent down and kissed Lavender on the cheek.

"Don't stop me," Michael hissed as he lunged at him.

"I don't _PLAN_ to!" yelled Goyle as he and Buster chased Cormac out the door with Zacharias catching up once he pulled Romilda's G-string away from his buttcrack again.

"Michael, please!" Lavender pleaded.

The foursome chased Cormac through traffic on Brompton all the way to South Carriage Drive with Lavender and Cho far behind.

"What's wrong, Zacharias?!" Cormac teased as they gave chase. "Ye got Romilda's _panties_ in a bunch again?!"

"WHO TOLD?!" Zacharias screamed.

Upon reaching South Carriage Drive, Cormac felt it was time for one last insult before running across Hyde Park.

"Hey Goyle!" he shouted. "When you and Eloise make love, how do ye find the hole?! Do ye roll her in dough and look for the wet spot?!"

"I'M GONNA SQUASH HIM!" Goyle screamed as they chased him across Hyde Park.

But before they could reach him, he dove for an old boot lying on the ground and disappeared. A well-placed portkey.

* * *

**Chapter 22 ****Hermione's love for Ron**

Ron and Hermione spent most of the morning looking over the information provided by the mushroom Draco stole. Their progress was only hindered by their inability to keep their hands off each other. They chose to lay out the parchments and photos on the kitchen island of the office cafe. The half eaten pancakes and cold coffee were a testament to their hunger for each _other_ rather than food.

"Ron, please," Hermione pleaded weakly as he slid his hands up her blouse from behind and lifted her bra up over her breasts. "I'm trying to...ohhhh..."

Rather than comply Ron chose to run his fingers in circles around her nipples before gently squeezing them between his index fingers and thumbs and tugging on them. Why comply? If she _really_ wanted him to stop...she'd stop him, right? Besides...her progressively heavier breathing was a clear indication she was aroused. And why was she wearing a skirt this morning if not to tease him with those smooth legs of hers?

"Do you like that, love?" Ron asked.

Hermione remained silent and chose to answer him in a different fashion. As Ron rested his chin on her right shoulder she purred and reaches down to lift her skirt up for him. Ron responded by taking out his swollen member from out of his slacks and rubbing it between her smooth buns. The T-bar of her G-string tickled him and when she reached down to pull it halfway down her thighs, Ron's member was at full attention. Reaching over her right shoulder Hermione teased Ron's hair and turned her head to kiss his parted lips which were now panting with excitement. She reached behind with her left hand and found his member warm and throbbing and moaned for him while sucking on his tongue. Ron hungrily thrust upwards with each squeeze of her hand as she teasingly kept it from its intended target.

"Please, love," Ron pleaded. "You're driving me mad. Why?"

Hermione finally pointed his member in the right direction and her hips rose in answer after answer after answer. She was not her usual _controlled_ self, she thought to herself. But she was delighted that Ron was not his usual flippant self as well. He was taking his time and his touch was gentle. A far cry from the _machine_-like nature of their lovemaking before his memory came back.

"Ohhh god, slow down," Ron moaned and hugged her breasts tight.

Hermione pushed away from the kitchen island and away from Ron.

"Wha...?" Ron stood confused for a second until Hermione kicked off her G-string and pulled him to the floor on a throw rug and straddled him.

"Ummm...my head's a bit...," Ron started. But Hermione reached for the pad off one of the kitchen chairs and placed it under his head.

It was hard to read her expression, Ron thought. She was insistent in her movements but her eyes were as gentle as a lamb. And when she finally straddled him and let him inside, she kept her eyes firmly on Ron's. Her piston-like movement alternating with grinding down hard and in a circular motion drove Ron to sexual heights he had never reached. He closed his eyes every now and then but his mind was in a whirl. And each time he opened them, Hermione's eyes were completely fixated on him. But they were progressively glistening with tears as well. Her expert movements were too much for Ron as he felt close to climax. He opened his eyes and looked up at her with excitment and a bit of panic.

"Hermione...my love...I'm...ohhhhhhhh...I'm about to...," Ron was too late in trying to get her off of him. "HERMIONE!?"

Ron's body shuddered violently as he climaxed. It was the most satisfying climax since their reintroduction to each other. He looked up at her completely unaware of what to expect. She seemed so overcome with emotion. Why?

"Why did you...?" Ron started.

Hermione blinked and a tear ran down the side of her beautiful face. She bent down and kissed him and ran her fingers through his hair. Ron could feel her body trembling as he hugged her. He hugged her gently at first but as Hermione started to sob quietly, he hugged her tighter. He tried to sit up and managed to get on his knees but Hermione responded by wrapping her legs tightly around his waist, not letting his still-erect member from slipping out.

"Don't leave me," she sobbed.

"Well, it's got to come out _some_ time," he answered.

"You _KNOW_ what I mean, damn it!" she sobbed louder.

Ron held her tight as she continued to sob. This was no girl's heart he had any intention of toying with nor breaking. He figured he'd eventually go limp but she started to grind against him rhythmically again. It was another full hour before she finally let him go.

* * *

**Chapter 23 ****Strange Alliance**

Ron lay on the kitchen floor for what seemed like an eternity. His heart's pounding had finally subsided and he stood up to get dressed. It was high time he caught up with Hermione who was probably in the shower by now. As he exitted the kitchen and back towards the office, a nauseatingly familiar voice caught him by surprise. A lone figure sat in the dark on the one of the couches in the meeting area.

"For God's sake, Weasley," said Draco. "Marry the girl."

"What the bloody hell are _you_ doing here?!" Ron squealed.

"Potter and I have arranged a meeting with our respective teams."

"Ummm...when?"

"Any minute now."

"How long have you been here?"

"A couple of hours."

"Why the bloody hell didn't you _say_ anything?!"

"In the middle of that touchingly long love scene? That wouldn't have been very _tactful_ now, would it?"

Draco sat back on the couch and propped his feet on the coffee table.

"Go on, Weasley," he sighed. "Granger's most likely waiting for you upstairs."

"Do you _have_ to wait here?"

"Don't worry, Weasley," Draco yawned. "I won't listen in."

Ron left him and started up the steps.

"Just like I _haven't_ been listening for the past two hours," Draco added with a chuckle.

Slowly over the course of the next hour, Harry's field team along with Draco's goons filed into the meeting room. Harry entered with Ginny in tow and nodded curtly to Draco who approached his side of the meeting room table. Harry waved Cho and Lavender over to him, eager to see how the meeting with Cormac went. Draco listened in too.

"Where's our favorite _foursome_?" Harry asked. "They _did_ manage to get along, right?"

"Famously," Cho answered as she shot a quick glance at Lavender. After a split second, she nudged Lavender in the arm.

"Umm...yes..._famously_," Lavender quickly added.

"Why do I get the feeling there's some _fine print_ in your answers?" Draco added.

"Things _did_ go well with McLaggen...right?" Harry asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

Before the girls could answer, the meeting room doors flung open and in walked Michael, Zacharias, Goyle and Buster. Their pants fronts had grass stains on them from their desperate dive at Cormac in Hyde Park. Everyone in the room could swear they saw steam coming out of their ears as well. Spotting an Irish flag on a _United Wizarding Nations_ display, all four of them ran towards it and fought over it, furiously trying to tear it apart. After a few moments of pushing and shoving, Goyle managed to take it for himself. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a lighter and lit the flag.  
When it was flaming brightly he dropped it to the tile floor, spit on it and Michael, Buster and Zacharias took turns stepping on it.

"I guess we won't be celebrating _St. Patrick's_ Day this year," Draco muttered.

Harry pulled Cho close and quickly added, "Hide the _Guiness_...and my _Notre Dame_ football jersey."

Ron finally came down and greeted everyone. All eyes were on him and it wasn't hard to figure out why.

"What?" Ron asked.

Lucky for him Hermione came walking down the steps. She was sporting a clean pair of blue jeans, low heeled boots and a white fuzzy sweater. Her hair was kept away from her face with a hair band and she was holding a manila folder. She walked up to Harry and Ginny but couldn't find the right words to say.

"Hi guys," she said in such a low dreamy tone she could almost pass for Luna Lovegood. "I'm..."

"It's okay, Hermione," Ginny assured her with a shakey voice. "It's good to have you back."

Harry and Ron joined them in a group hug as they wept tears of joy.

Draco gave Ron a _thumb's up_ as they shared polite glances for the first time in their lives.

All tension vanished as Bill, George and Dean came in with boxes of Chinese food.

"Oh boy!" Goyle beamed. "FOOD!"

As Romilda laid out stacks of plates and plasticware, everyone filed behind, ready to eat as Goyle and Michael fought for first position in the line.

Dean and George awaited the crowd's eventual dispersal with Zacharias who had retreated to the office minibar on the other side of the room. As Zacharias patiently waited, Dean and George sat on either side of him on barstools. They both eyed him in what Zacharias was starting to feel could only be described as a _homosexual_ manner.

"Hey there, _sweetcheeks_," George breathed in an _effeminate_ voice.

"What color _panties_ ya wearin'?" Dean added.

"Oh, BUGGER OFF!" Zacharias bellowed and left to join the line.

* * *

**Chapter 24 ****The Grand Plan**

The motley group gathered 'round the table as Hermione dispersed the contents of her manilla folder.

"This is all highly classified information," she began. "The ministry has given all agents carte blanche with how they deal with Don Bartolo. But our efforts must be a _coordinated_ effort. Some of you may have heard of the recent _Anthrax_ scare at the Wizarding dock of _Atherton_, close to Southampton. It was staged by MI-5 and 6. MI-7, the _wizarding_ branch of her Majesty's government, has used the cover of fighting international terrorism for imposing an international lockdown on all wizarding ports. The guise, of course, being a fear that terrorist are somehow working with elements of Don Bartolo's organization to wreak havoc on the Muggle world."

Just then, Pansy _Malfoy_ and Eloise Midgen quietly entered carrying suitcases as Hermione continued. Pansy's doctor had forbidden her to eat sweets for fear of pre-eclampsia and Goyle was quick to act as she paused to stare at a table loaded with desserts.

"Nuh _uh_," said Draco.

Goyle positioned himself between the girls and the desserts. To add insult to injury, Goyle decided to pick up a large chocolate cake with cocoanut frosting and take a huge bite out of it before her.

"GOYLE!" Draco chided. "BAD Goyle!"

As Pansy frowned, hung her head and waddled over to Draco, Goyle and Eloise shared the cake and a giggle. Everyone gave a polite greeting to Pansy as Harry found a padded chair for her to sit on. Her belly looked close to bursting. As Hermione continued, Harry and Ron noticed Pansy whispering something to Draco. The deflated look on Draco's face was a clear indication it was bad news.

"Elements of the Special Wizarding Air Service raided a camp in Northern Ireland. It was a carefully staged battle against the Irish Wizarding Republican Army used to draw out the rogue wizarding elements in the area," Hermione continued. "We know from a spy within _Finnegan's Brigade_ that Don Bartolo did _indeed_ torture and kill many of their members to get the information obtained from the Jade Mushroom. It was unfortunate to have to use their organization that way but I doubt many in the Wizarding world would shed a lot of tears over it."

"Did they..._get_ the information?" Dean asked.

"Yes, they did," Hermione answered amid a chorus of disgruntled voiced. "But...wait!...listen to me!...The information was not complete! Don Bartolo has discovered that Chinese dignitary to the Wizarding High Council, Lee Tin Yee...has the final mushroom. It's a carved _**RUBY**_. Lee Tin Yee is arriving at the Citadel in two days under heavy guard. There will be a high-profile state dinner with dignitaries from all around the wizarding world. MI-7 already has agents in place. But fear of an international wizarding incident is paramount on the mind of Cornelius Fudge. This is where _we_ come in. We crash..._er_...we _infiltrate_ the dinner, find Lee Tin Yee's 3rd Lieutenant and snatch him."

"Why the _THIRD_ Lieutenant, Granger?" Draco piped up.

"He is Yee's most trusted member and we believe he holds vital information about the ruby," Hermione answered. "When elements of Voldermort's Death Eaters tried to steal the key to the Chinese wizarding world's _Forbidden City_, it was this third lieutenant who escaped with it."

"Why haven't you referred to him by _name_?" Harry asked.

"We don't know it," Hermione went on. "But we _do_ know...that he has a _mole_ on his nose."

"It should be easy to crash this party, eh?" Ron commented as he nudged Harry.

"MI-7 agents have been ordered to do their _best_ to prevent gate-crashers," Hermione continued. "You will _not_ be allowed to simply waltz through the doors. Don Bartolo's people will _also_ have to find a way past them. We have two days to formulate a plan. George, Bill and Charlie have surface escape routes ready to go, although MI-7 _will_ attempt to stop them. Our backup plan is through the air courtesy of Draco's private helicopter. It would have been nice to use our brooms but it would be a dead giveaway to Bartolo's people that something is amiss."

"So all we have to do is find various ways of getting _in_," Draco stated.

"What do you mean _various_?" asked Ron.

"Well, we can't all bloody well try and get in the front door now, can we?" Draco explained.

"He's right," Harry agreed. "There are multiple entrances into the Citadel. We _can't_ be too obvious."

"Well that's it, then," Draco stated before taking a final sip of brandy. "Let's rest up on it and be raring to go in a couple of days."

As the group dispersed, Harry and Ron watched as Draco took Pansy aside and spoke in a hushed tone. After a brief moment, Pansy was in tears with Draco hugging her for comfort. Harry and Ron approached.

"Is everything alright, then?" Harry asked.

"No," Pansy sobbed. "Everything's _awful_. Just _awful_."

"Please, love," Draco offered. "Let _me_ worry about it, alright."

Looking over at Harry, Draco mustered up his courage and asked, "Is there a place Pansy can stay until I can sort things out, Potter?"

"Is it your father?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded.

"She can stay at Grimmauld Place. I've decided to make it home recently," Harry offered. "We'll just...get your things and go, alright?"

"It's not Malfoy Manor but it _is_ rather cozy," added Ron.

Pansy beamed and cried some more before giving Ron a big hug. Harry and Ron escorted her to Draco's Rolls Royce as Eloise followed with the suitcases.

"Allow me," Ron offered and bowed graciously.

"Oh thank you, Ronald," Eloise answered as she placed the suitcases on the ground and entered the car.

Goyle's large frame came close. He was _still_ eating the cake and was watching Ron with a silly grin. Ron picked up one of the suitcases. It was so heavy that when he tried to walk with it, he fell to the ground. Dusting the dirt from his knees he decided to _drag_ the suitcases to the trunk instead.

"Wipe that stupid grin off yer face," he muttered as he walked past Goyle.

"Oh c'mon, Weasley," Goyle chuckled. "This is the _SMARTEST_ grin I can muster at the moment."

* * *

**Chapter 25 ****The Boy Grows Up...Hermione's secret heartache**

Harry locked down the office with Ginny. So far, so good, he thought. He was sure to be _extra_ gentlemanly tonight. He even opened the car door for her. But he should have remembered to continue with their usual _small talk_. The ride to Grimmauld Place was quiet. A little too quiet for Ginny.

"So what bad news are you about to tell me?" she teased.

"What?" Harry answered. "Bad news?"

"You're _always_ quiet when you're about to tell me bad news."

"Am _not_."

Ginny eyed him carefully the rest of the way. When they finally parked their clunker in the newly built parking garage behind Grimmauld Place, she didn't really suspect a thing. When they finally entered, Harry took a deep breath and turned on the lights.

The walls were redone in wedgewood blue with cream crown molding throughout. But a temporary red carpet led her to the former den next to the master bedroom. It was all she could do not to burst out in tears when she followed it to the newly decorated nursery. Paintings of baby angels resting on clouds adorned the walls with a pastel rainbow ending on the side of the room where an antique crib was situated. A matching day bed was to the right of the crib and the changing table on the left.

"Oh god...you...," Ginny began.

"Yes," Harry finished. "I know about the baby."

Ginny sat on the day bed and wiped away tears as Harry approached and knelt in front of her.

"I'm truly hoping those are tears of _joy_, love?" Harry asked.

"It's...it's beautiful, Harry," Ginny sobbed. "I'm...I'm so happy..."

Ginny sobbed even louder now as Harry took her hand. He knew was this was about. And it was high time he wised up and gave the love of his life what she deserved. Fetching a small jewelry box from his pocket, he opened it to show her an honest-to-goodness 1 carat diamond ring.

"It was my mother's," Harry announced. "And I couldn't put it on a more deserving finger than the ring finger of your left hand."

Ginny tried to say something but was sobbing too hard to get the words out between multiple _"Oh Harrys"_. After nearly fifteen years, her love for _"the boy who lived"_ had proven its worth.

"Ginevra Weasley," Harry asked. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Ginny wailed. "I will."

As Harry put it on her finger, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. It was Ron, Hermione and Luna with Draco trailing behind.

"Oi! What 'ave ye done to my sister?" Ron asked. "OHhh..."

Ginny proudly stood up and showed off her ring as Hermione and Luna rushed to get a hug.

"We're going to be family, eh?" Ron said as he shook Harry's hand. After realizing how silly it was, he decided a full hug was in order and squeezed his future brother-in-law breathless.

From his vantage point over Harry's shoulder Ron caught Hermione eyeing him with a forlorn look before averting her eyes and sharing Ginny and Luna's excited squeals. Draco caught the look as well and his polite smile faded.

"Um...congratulations, Potter," Draco offered and patted him on the back. "I've got to tend to Pansy, so if you'll excuse me..."

Draco eyed Hermione suspiciously before disappearing up the stairs.

"C'mon, old friend," Ron sobbed. "Let's go pop open one of them Dom Perignons."

As they disappeared into the kitchen, Ginny and Luna chatted it up as Hermione fought back tears. She watched Ron as he faded into the kitchen with Harry and feigned a yawn.

"I-..I've a long day with the Ministry tomorrow," Hermione lied. "We'll chat it up in the morning, okay?"

After a big hug, Hermione quickly disappeared up the stairs to the guest bedroom Harry let her and Ron share. She couldn't break down in front of them. She just couldn't. Slamming the door shut, she slid to the floor and cried. The truth of the past was too much to bear. But the sound of Draco's voice gave her quite a start.

"_They_ don't know, do they?" Draco said as he turned on the bedside lamp.

Pansy was sitting next to him. Her face was a little more sympathetic.

"You've got to tell him, Hermione," Pansy told her. "It's not right."

"I can't," Hermione sobbed. "I just can't. I..."

"Our wedding was not the happiest affair," Pansy continued. "But Draco and I love each other enough to build a family together. And we have no secrets between us."

"You're a better person than this, _Granger_," Draco chided. "_I_, personally, wouldn't have left the one I loved _standing at the altar_ but-"

"You don't know me!" Hermione shot back.

"**BUT**...I _know_ you'll do the right thing," Draco finished.

As Draco stood and helped Pansy to her feet to leave Hermione eyed him with wonder. _Who is this guy and what has he done with Draco Malfoy_?

Before leaving the room, Draco added, "You _will_ do the right thing. And when you do...we'll be there for you."

Pansy nodded and gave her a hug before leaving.

_The mission_, she thought. When it's all over...she'll deal with it.

* * *

**Chapter 26 ****Plans and Schemes**

"You've got to be bleedin' kiddin' me, boss!" Goyle complained as he sat on a chair with Eloise applying makeup on him.

"You've got a better idea?" Draco asked. "According to Granger this _Perez_ character, who's going to be prowling the lower south entrance, is a major _poon_-hound who looks for girls on behalf of many of the dignitaries. It's the _easiest_ way to get several of us in."

"I don't _WANT_ to dress up like a girl, damn it!" Goyle complained.

"They _know_ my father," Draco went on. "It'd be _easy_ for me to get you and the girls in. I'd be your _pimp_, so to speak. Damn it Goyle, I can't do this without you guys! They require a minimum five girl stable for all _pimps_."

In the chair next to him Buster was already admiring his look in the mirror as Pansy dolled him up.

"You're _scaring_ me, Buster," Goyle stated.

In the next room, Michael and Zacharias were checking their looks in the mirror. Their **blue** and **green** plaid kilts were very becoming.

"Why are we dressed like this again?" asked Zacharias.

"We're incognito," Michael answered as he checked his arse for _panty_lines.

"Oh," Zacharias continued. "I thought we were in _**Scotland**_."

"Oh for Pete's sake," Michael went on. "We stroll in with the Scottish delegation and their families. The upper north gate will be crawling with Scots and...and how is it I don't see _pantylines_ on you?"

"I-...I've got a good brand of tightie whities on?" Zacharias lied.

"You're wearing one of Romilda's g-strings again," Michael tried to say with a straight face.

"Well, I didn't want any bloody seams!" Zacharias explained amidst Michael's howling laughter.

In the nursery, Ginny helped Harry and Ron dust off their stolen waiter's uniforms as Hermione explained their entry plan.

"Remember, we've only got a split second to get you guys through the magic detector gate with you guys under the Invisibility Cloak," Hermione explained. "Dean and I will run interference for you."

"This sounds dicey, Hermione," Harry said. "What do you guys plan on doing?"

"No worries, mate," Dean assured him. "I've got an American ghetto black routine all laid out for the guards. And Hermione's got something for 'em too."

Hermione reached up and combed Ron's hair neatly as did Ginny with Harry.

"Remember, Bartolo's people will be looking for the man with the mole on his nose as well," Hermione cautioned. "Spot him...bag him...sneak him out under the cloak if you can."

She finished and eyed him with as straight a face as she could muster. It wasn't good enough. Ron pulled her aside.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" he asked.

"Nothing," she answered, trying not to let her voice crack as she straightened his tie and let her hands curl at the base of his collar. "Nothing at all."

"We're going to be okay," Ron assured her. "We'll stop Bartolo, save the world and live happily ever after. Like..._Babbity Rabbity_."

Thank god for the joke, Hermione thought. She was able to hide her despair in a shared laugh.

"Do you think...they'll wise up and realize they're meant for each other," Ginny asked Harry as she looked on.

"I do hope so," Harry answered. "Hermione's been hard to read lately, though."

"I wish you'd let me help," Ginny complained. "Luna's been hovering over me as if I was eight months pregnant."

"It's a deal we made," Harry confided. "I get her Neville back...she watches over _my_ beloved."

"Are they really an item?" Ginny asked. "You know how impossible it is to read Luna."

"I believe so," Harry thought. "And Neville...I don't know about you...but he's wiser than people give him credit for. And I have a sneaking suspicion Hermione's not telling us something with regards to our old friend."

* * *

**Chapter 27 ****Lavender's Mission**

It's early evening at the posh Arrow Club. Poor Lavender is playing with her fork, waiting another eternity for Cormac to show up.

"Waiter," she called. "I've been here for far too long. Has there been _any_ sign of Mr. McLaggen?"

"I will _call out_ for him, madam," the waiter answered.

"Mister _McLaggen_!"

"Is there a Mister _McLaggen_ in the house!?"

Just then a couple enjoying their dinner behind Lavender started to giggle. She could hear the sound of kissing as well.

"Mister _McLaggen_!?"

Just then the man seated behind her piped up.

"Aye! Shut yer piehole ya bloody penguin!" he called out to the waiter. "What ye be shoutin' me name all about for? Do I go around shoutin' _YER_ name out?"

Turning to look at him, Lavender shouted back, "For the love of God, Cormac! We had a _dinner_ date tonight and I've been sittin' here for three bloody hours!"

"Aye," Cormac answered as he kissed his date on the cheek. "With yer _BACK_ ta me. When I take a lass out ta dinner, I expect her to look at me face. That's the _price_ ye have ta pay."

"Ah, Mr. McLaggen," the waiter interrupted. "Here is your check, sir."

"**£22!?** This is an _outrage_!" Cormac bellowed as he strangely handed the check to his date. "If I were ye, I wouldn't pay it!"

Quickly leaving his current table to sit with Lavender, Cormac called to the waiter, "We're ready to order, lad."

"It's too bloody late for dinner, Cormac," Lavender sighed.

"Alright lass, keep yer panties on," Cormac continued. "Bring us two _breakfast_ menus instead."

Conceding defeat, Lavender nodded to the waiter and buried her head in her hands.

"Can I _please_ just hand you this folder and be done with it?" Lavender groaned.

"No," Cormac answered. "Yer a hungry lass and I intend ta feed ya."

"You intend to _pay_ for mine?" Lavender sighed.

"Depends on what ye have for me, beautiful," Cormac answered as he eyed his menu.

Slipping the opened folder under his menu, Lavender hoped the pictures of Don Bartolo checking into the Ritz Hotel near the Citadel would catch his eye.

"Bloody hell," Cormac muttered as he put down his menu. "The bastard's here, eh?"

"If your boys can harass him as much as possible tonight," Lavender offered. "We promise it'll be worth your while. For the entire _Brigade_, if you will."

"He's a cold bastard, he is," Cormac simply stated. "Not a warm fella like me."

Lavender sighed as Cormac reached under the table to massage her knee. Mistaking it for a pleasurable response Cormac proceeded to slide his hand under her skirt as Lavender snuck her stun gun from her purse.

_BzzzzZZZZzzZZzzzzZZzzzz!_

The waiter returned shortly to take her order.

"I'll have two eggs over-easy, toast, bacon and coffee," she ordered. "And...ignore my sotted date. He can't hold his liquor."

* * *

**Chapter 28 ****CRASHING THE PARTY**

It was sundown near the Citadel. The imposing Greco-Roman style building was situated in the epicenter of Ravenhurst, a hidden wizarding city in _The Dales_ region. As with all wizarding locales, the only way in was by magical means or transportation. From atop a financial building to the east, George looked on through his binoculars as Bill and Charlie walked up on either side of him.

"Lemme have a look," Bill asked. But Charlie was having none of that and decided to try and yank George's binoculars away.

"Oi, knock it off!" yelled George as Bill grabbed the binoculars from the other side.

As Bill and Charlie's luck would have it, they broke the binoculars in two and each of them had a _monocular_ to look through.

"FINE!" George yelled. "Keep me posted!"

"OOoooOOoOOooo..." Bill and Charlie moaned in unison as a car smashed into an invisible barrier at the Citadel's north side.

"Security's on the ball, lads," said Bill.

Down below, Michael and Zacharias blended in with the Scottish crowd as they neared their entry point.

"What are you holding your kilt down for?" Michael asked. "You look _suspicious_."

"There's a bloody wind!" Zacharias answered. "I'll never hear the end of it if I bare my _arse_ in public wearing a g-string."

Zacharias' luck suddenly changed as a rotund Scottish woman put her arm around his waist.

"Well well," she breathed. "Ye McCormick lads look juicier every year. I'm Sondra, love. Sondra _McKinney_. Who are _ye_, ya juicy lad?"

"Umm...I'm...I'm Sean," Zacharias replied, trying not to wince. "Sean _McCormick_."

"Mmmmmmmm...ye look good enough ta _eat_ Sean," Sondra giggled as she slid her hand down to squeeze his left buttock. "OOoooooo...what a firm juicy backside ye have, laddie."

Looking over at Michael with a panicked expression, Zacharias mouthed the words, _Help me!_. But Michael seized the opportunity and made his acquaintance.

"May a couple of lonely lads escort a fine lady in?" he offered as he held out his arm.

"OHhh yes you MAY!" Sondra bellowed as she took Michael's arm but kept her other on Zacharias' rump. It was bad enough she was a great big, _fat_ thing, her laugh sounded like a drowning horse.

Bill and Charlie got a good chuckle out of it.

"Michael and Zach are in," Charlie said to George.

At the lower south entrance Draco and his stable of _girls_ approached. The twin sets of stairs leading to the upper south entrance were teeming with people looking on with either laughter or disgust. As reported, the _Perez_ fellow was standing in the tunnel with another goon.

"This is it, lads," Draco muttered as Buster fumbled with his phoney breasts. "Stop..._touching_ yourself for God's sake!"

"They were _crooked_," said Buster. "I looked like a bleedin' Picasso."

"I don't think Picasso ever painted something _this_ ugly," muttered Goyle as he checked his look in a compact mirror.

"Just let 'em get a load of Romilda, Lavender and Cho first, ok?" Draco ordered.

As they approached, Perez eyed the three _real_ girls while licking his lips.

"Joo are lovely," he said as he eyed Romilda with a toothey grin. "El Capitan weel be mose plees."

As he eyed the _boys_, Goyle and Buster tried to put on their best girlish fronts.

"Joo are...," Perez started but quickly turned and muttered to the other goon. "Dios mio...es una puta muy _fea_!"

Clearing his throat and approaching Draco, Perez gave him 6 official passes.

"Joo weel tell jor fodder _Hola_ for me, eh?" Perez asked as he opened the doors for them.

"I most certainly will, Señor Perez," Draco answered as he shook his hand and entered.

As they disappeared through the doors Perez let out a gagging sound.

"Madre de Dios!" he said to the other goon. "Some caballeros woulda kissa _ANY_body!"

Bill was laughing hysterically now as he handed his half of the binoculars back to George.

"I can't _believe_ that actually _worked_!" Bill laughed.

The single main gate was on the west side. Hermione and Dean approached as Ron and Harry hid under the Invisibility cloak.

"I hope you got your routine down, Hermione," Dean muttered. "Do you?"

"Don't worry, I saw it on an old American _detective_ show," Hermione answered.

As they approached the _magic_ detector bars Hermione and Dean picked up the pace.

"This is it, mates," Harry muttered under the cloak.

"Good luck to everyone," Ron added.

Dean and Hermione quickly lunged through the magic detector as Harry and Ron lunged in a moment after, setting off bells and whistles.

"Hey!" yelled a guard as he and another grabbed Hermione and Dean and pushed them back past the detector. "What the bloody hell is this!?"

"Yo homes, why you gotta be like that? You're trippin', cuz!" Dean started. "My homeboy's waitin' on me. Sax player's laid to the bone, homes! He can't _hang_, brutha! Homeboy said the moleman set me up."

The guard looked at Hermione for a translation.

"He said he's in the band," Hermione explained. "And a friend of his with the band sent him to replace the saxophone player who's taken ill. He's not aware of the contact's name but he says he has a mole on his nose. If that helps."

"You're lookin' fer a man with a mole on his nose?" the guard asked.

"Yes, a mole on his nose."

"What kind of clothes?"

"What kind of clothes?" Hermione asked Dean.

"What kind of clothes do you _suppose_?" answered Dean.

"What kind of clothes do I suppose would be worn by a man with a mole on his nose?" the guard asked. "Who knows?"

"Did I happen to mention, did I bother to disclose, that this man that we're seeking with the mole on his nose? I'm not sure of his clothes or anything else, except he's Chinese, a big clue by itself," Hermione offered.

"I'm sorry to say, I'm sad to report, I haven't seen anyone at all of that sort. Not a man who's Chinese with a mole on his nose with some kind of clothes that you can't suppose. So get away from this door and get out of this place, or I'll have to hurt you - put my foot in your face." the guard warned.

"Time to go," said Hermione as she and Dean left. Their mission was at least successful in that Harry and Ron made it in.

"We _would_ run into a guard who watched the same show!" Hermione complained. "I should have told him I played the _piano_ or something. I wish I _was_ an accomplished pianist, actually."

"You're not alone, Hermione," Dean joked. "LOADS of women have _pianist_ envy."

After a moment, Hermione understood the joke and nudged him hard in the ribs.

"Lovely," said George as he looked on. "_Every_one made it in."

* * *


	2. Chapter 29 through 33

Chapter 29 **The man with the mole on his nose**

Harry and Ron found it hard to carry out their mission with people constantly pulling on their arms asking for drink refills. Complaints about the cuisine were even worse.

"If that _fat_ guy asks for another bloomin' replacement pie," Ron muttered. "I'm gonna deflate his arse."

"Where is this _Yee_ character?" Harry complained as he pushed along a cart loaded with pies. "I've only seen minor Chinese _servants_ since we've started."

"Let's split up," Ron suggested. "We'll cover more ground."

Finding the going tough in his heels, Goyle stumbled with Draco and Buster as they sought out a bathroom.

"I _hate_ these shoes," he moaned.

"Why?" Draco joked. "They don't match your _purse_?"

"Well _that _and…" Goyle began. "Oh, _bite_ me!"

Looking at his fingernails, Buster added, "I should've gone with the metallic blue."

Grabbing both of them by an ear, Draco dragged them into a janitor's closet.

"That's _it_," Draco ordered. "Get out of those stupid dresses before you hurt yourselves."

Up above, decorative netting held hundreds of balloons of different colors in place. Lavender and Cho separately patrolled the surrounding upper level tables. They too found the going tough as male dignitaries ogled them often.

"Mmmmmmm…Hola, señorita," breathed a drunken Spaniard as he grabbed Cho's arm. "Quiero comer su penocha, puta!"

Yanking her arm free, Cho answered, "Aye, _La Cucaracha_ to you too, señor."

Below, Ron squinted hard to see the man sitting at a long table with some Arab dignitaries. The man was definitely a high-ranking _Chinese_ dignitaryHe quickened his pace hoping the pies won't fall off the cart and scanned the faces in the areaGoyle was approaching from the other direction, _eating _pies as well as passing them out. Spotting Harry 30 yards away, Ron tried to wave him over.

"Chinaman at 3 o'clock," he muttered to Goyle as he passed him. "And stop _eating_ you dolt!"

Draco spotted the Chinaman as well and frantically scanned the faces near him to no avail. Harry finally caught sight of Ron waving at him from across the room. But it was Cho, from above, who finally spotted the moleman.

"The man with the mole on his…" Cho said to herself as she waved her arms to get their attention.

Luckily Michael and Zacharias saw her and excused themselves from Sondra McKinney's table.

"Do come back ye juicy boy, eh?" Sondra asked Zacharias. "Keep your arse warm and toasty for me?"

"Aye, blossom," Zacharias answered. "Anythin' for a fine Scottish lass."

Ron caught up with Harry and pointed to the Chinaman. Just then, flashes of white lights were seen and loud popping noises were heard as from all around Don Bartolo's minions appeared. Their burgundy hooded robes cast a subdued crimson hue all around and their faces were hidden behind black masks. A loud final boom announced the appearance of Don Bartolo himself. Clad in a black robe with burgundy and gold accents flowing down the front and back, he was an imposing 6 foot figure with long wavey brown hair and a goatee. Harry froze at the sight of the man's strange eyes. Bartolo's irises were a dull shade of olive green surrounded by red. But instead of the customary pupil, Bartolo's eyes had vertical slits down the center.

Outside the scene was chaotic. The magical barrier had either been breached or intentionally removed from the Citadel. Flashes of red, blue and green light could be seen as Bartolo's minions did battle with the guards. George, Bill and Charlie abandoned their lookout to see if they could help. Hermione and Dean took cover behind a limousine and drew their wands.

"Oh well," Dean quipped. "Best laid schemes o' mice and men and all…"

Inside the scene was even more chaotic as throngs of people were now scurrying about. Harry and Ron finally reached Lee Tin Yee.

"Run!" Harry yelled. "They're here for _you_!"

Yee quickly ducked under the table with his bodyguards and crawled towards an exit. Just then someone bumped into Goyle's pie cart. It was the man himself. _The man with the mole on his nose! _Quick to see that Bartolo's men were _also_ scanning faces, Goyle was forced to improvise. He picked up a pie and hit the man square in the face with it.

"FIND THE CHINAMAN!" Bartolo bellowed.

Seeing what Goyle had done, Draco, Buster and Ron sprang into action and began hitting every Chinaman they could find with a pie. Just for good measure…they began throwing them at Bartolo's men as well. Goyle was now wrestling with the moleman. His great weight was an asset as he waved Harry over.

"Is it him?" Harry asked as he crawled to him.

"Aye, mate," Goyle answered as the man screamed at him in Chinese.

Harry fished the Invisibility Cloak from the pie cart and threw it over him.

"Load 'em on the cart," Harry ordered. "Get him outta here!"

Suddenly the Chinaman reached out of the cloak and grabbed Goyle by the throat, desperately trying to get a message across in broken English.

"Mutrum! Mutrum!" the man screamed. "Getta da mutrum!"

"Harry?" Goyle asked. "I didn't catch that."

"Bloody hell," Harry muttered. "They brought the _MUSHROOM_ with 'em! Where!?"

"Inna dee antikitty dispray!" the moleman answered.

"Get 'im outta here, Goyle!" Harry ordered. "We'll catch up!"

Goyle took off with the moleman hidden under the cloak as Harry sought out his comrades.

From all around, Bartolo's men were rounding people up and weeding out the Chinamen. From above came blue flashes of light as Ministry agents came to their aid. But they were vastly outnumbered. One by one they fell as flashes of red from Bartolo's men picked them off. A burly Spaniard near Draco was about to take another out but a howling Irishman knocked him off his feet. It was Ernie McMillan. Finnegan's Irish Brigade was eager to exact revenge for their fallen comrades in Belfast.

"It's about time, McMillan!" Draco yelled as Seamus and Cormac burst through the crowds with reinforcements. Flashes of red and green were all around them as Bartolo's men battled Finnegan's.

Draco turned around as Harry tapped him on the shoulder, "The mushroom's here in the antiquities display! Let's go!"

"MALFOY!" Bartolo bellowed. "JOO ARE A TRAITOR TO PUREBLOODS EVERYWHERE!"

Harry and Draco desperately dodged Bartolo's spells as they made their way to the antiquities display. Seamus and Cormac tried their best to distract Bartolo but their spells merely bounced off him and flew skywards.

"Blimey," Seamus groaned. "The bastard can block and fire at once."

Aiming for a group of Spaniards in hot pursuit of Harry, Seamus fired away with _Avada Kedavra_ spells forcing the others to trip over their fallen comrades.

Harry and Draco reached the antiquities display and searched frantically for the mushroom. Draco was finding it hard to concentrate once he caught sight of a beautiful emerald surrounded by diamonds.

"Draco!" Harry screamed and brought him back to his sense.

Spotting the mushroom, Harry smashed the glass display and retrieved it as Draco freed the emerald from its display as well.

"Crikey, it's a lot _smaller_ than the other ones," Harry remarked. "It looks like an average adult sized…_winky_."

"Right," Draco added as he stole a few more treasures. "But it's carved from a ruby. It's worth a ton, Potter. Let's get the bloody hell out of here."

From three sides, Bartolo's men were approaching. So Harry and Draco ran up a nearby staircase to the upper level instead. The battle below raged on. Lavender took cover behind an overturned table with Cho. She was tying a napkin around a gash on her forearm.

"We've got what we came for!" Harry yelled at them. "Make a run for it!"

They made their way down the main staircase but found themselves fighting through the crowd like everyone else. A large bolt of red lightning hit the stairs in front of Harry, flinging him forward to the main floor. The ruby fell out of his pocket. Draco dove for it but a fleeing woman kicked it away. Buster tried to dive for it but was tackled by one of Bartolo's men. Cormac dove and missed it by inches as yet another fleeing individual kicked it away.

"THE RUBY!" Bartolo bellowed as Ron finally grabbed it.

Six of Bartolo's goons were suddenly upon him as Michael and Cormac climbed a nearby table and jumped to his aid. Spotting Zacharias standing near the balloons release lever, Ernie shouted, "Zach! Pull the lever!" Zacharias gave it a good yank and hundreds of balloons rained down from above.

"HIJO DE PUTA!" Bartolo screamed as his view of everything was now blocked.

The deafening sound of hundreds of balloons popping at once rang out. Everyone doubled over and covered their ears as Bartolo's spell worked in his favor. When it was over, Bartolo and his men had Harry and his cohorts surrounded. With a wave of his wand, a large sphere of translucent red light surrounded the group and they disappeared just as reinforcements arrived with Hermione and Dean.

"Bloody hell, Seamus," Ernie remarked. "What kind o' spell was _that_, mate?"

Chapter 30 **Captured!**

The swaying motion of their surroundings made it clear to the boys that they were on a ship as their captors led them blindfolded to the brig. Upon reaching their destination their captors removed the blindfolds, ushered them into their cell and unceremoniously shoved them into the wall.

A short, reed-thin Spaniard with a moustache and a mousey-look about him began to speak.

"Joo mide lib if joo cooperate weet Don Bartolo," he announced. "I am dee famoose Capitan Jorge Castillo."

Looking at Michael, Zacharias muttered, "Are we supposed to _know_ this guy?"

"Joo will wish joo hod not, Englishman!" Castillo bellowed.

"I _already_ wish I hadn't," Cormac shot back.

Castillo answered with a weak, limp-wristed slap in Cormac's face. Cormac tried not to laugh but couldn't help letting out a little giggle. It only angered Castillo more.

"Irish _puto_!" Castillo responded in the most laughable attempt at sounding manly.

Turning to Draco, Castillo shook his head and wagged his finger in his face.

"Joo hod da chance to join Don Bartolo's_ Campeones_," Castillo chided. "Instead joo will see dee most powerful wizarding army _ever_...march ober dee face of dee world..._weedout_ joo!"

"I was _going_ to join," Draco smirked. "But they found out my parents were _married_ to each other."

Castillo hesitated but a giggle from Zacharias infuriated him beyond his limits. He pulled out a _slapjack_ and slapped Draco in the face with it. At first the pain was intense. But Castillo's laughable response eased the pain.

"What dee HELL do joo meen by dat!?" he screamed, which only caused the rest of the boys to burst out laughing. "Turn dee HELL around joo FAHGITS!"

Even Castillo's own men had a hard time keeping straight faces as the boys tried desperately to stop laughing.

"I NO LIKE JOR FACES!" Castillo yelled and then left the cell embarrassed.

"I suppose joo tink _WE_ like dem?" Ron shouted back.

Back at the Citadel, Goyle was distraught.

"Where are they?!" he demanded as he approached one of Bartolo's men who were left behind. Two aurors had their wands pointed at the man's face as another cuffed his hands behind his back. Goyle grabbed the man by the neck and the two aurors were forced to wrestle him away.

Seamus approached Hermione who was giving a statement to a Ministry official.

"Is there naught we can do, lass?" he asked.

"We're doing everything we _can_, Seamus," she assured him. "MI-7 is hard at work here."

"Hermione," Seamus pleaded. "He must be stopped. I've got family.._muggle _friends...and they-"

"I'm on _top_ of the situation," Hermione reassured him.

Scanning her body up and down in her sleek black evening gown, Seamus muttered, "I wish _I_ was that _situation_."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"I was just sayin'...nevermind," Seamus said as he looked away.

Dean was busy trying to help pull Goyle away from yet another of Bartolo's _Campeones._

"Easy!" Dean urged as Goyle desperately swung away at the man who was now being hustled away by aurors. "Come on, big guy. It's going to be alright."

"Y-you don't understand," Goyle answered trying not to sob. "He's my best friend in the whole world. I-I'm _lost_ without 'im around, mate."

Hugging the big lummox as he gave in to the urge to cry, Dean rocked him like a great big baby.

"We've all got close mates in his cluthes, big guy," Seamus added. "We'll get the bastard."

Dean was still hugging Goyle when he caught sight of a familiar svelte female form emerging from a nearby jeep. She was clad in tight black leather pants and a short-sleeved purple blouse. But what struck him like a brick was that she had a..._MINISTRY_ badge clipped to her belt.

"Romilda?" Dean muttered.

After which all three of them stared at her _wide-eyed._

**Chapter 31 Vane...Agent **_**Romilda**_** Vane**

Strolling to Hermione with her dark locks billowing in the wind, Romilda winked at Dean and spoke to Hermione. Dean groaned. Romilda went heavy with the eyeliner and mascara and her purple-hued eyeshadow went well with her blouse.

"We've got a fix on their position, Agent Granger," she announced.

"Good," Hermione responded in relief.

Dean, Goyle and Seamus approached. The dumb look on their faces was a testament to their severe confusion.

"What the hell, Hermione?" asked Dean.

"Yeah...you can't...uh...we're in the...the dark and...," added Goyle, fumbling with his words _and_ thoughts.

"Why you devious little Ministry lass," Seamus said as he eyed Romilda's tight blouse. And with smile added, "Where ye been hiding those?"

After giving Seamus a dirty look and teasingly squeezing her right breast at him, Romilda continued, "Bartolo's flagship is bearing down on Malta. The American Central Wizarding Intelligence Agency confirms there's been a lot of wizarding activity near Dingli but their clandestine raids in and around the area have yielded nothing in regards to these 'death' orchids."

"Wait," Seamus interrupted. "It won't be by ship."

"How do you know?" Hermione asked.

"The raid in Belfast...right before one of me lads, Angus Ryan died...he said Don Bartolo boasted he would rain death from _above_ upon the muggle world," Seamus continued.

"Well, whatever he's planning on doing, we're going to stop him before he can carry it out," said Hermione.

"H-how do you know where..." Dean started to ask.

"Zacharias," Romilda answered with a sly smile. "It was too easy."

Dean thought for a second and then hit himself on the forehead laughing, "The _panties_."

Cornelius Fudge approached.

"Well done, girls," he said. "For once the Imperius curse worked in _our_ favor."

"I take it our mole is doing okay?" Romilda asked.

"Yes he is," Fudge continued. "Fletchley's a good lad but in the future he's going to have to learn not to trust every pretty face he runs into. At least he had the protection charm over the Citadel cancelled at the right moment."

"Well, you know _men_," Romilda giggled as she looked over her shoulder at the Dean, Goyle and Seamus. The three were leaning forward and obviously staring at Romilda's luscious backside. All guys love a firm bottom in tight leather, eh?

"Uh huh," Hermione teased as she raised an eyebrow at them.

Teasing them further, Hermione slapped Romilda firmly on her right buttock and the three _men_ fell forward groaning.

Back on the ship, Harry and Buster were stuck in a cargo hold. Bartolo's _multiple apparation_ spell wasn't all that accurate, apparently. Buster's legs reformed halfway into a box of rations. Harry found a crowbar and was desperately trying to free him before they were discovered.

"Well, _this_ is a hell of a fix to be in," Buster groaned.

"Well, just count yourself lucky your _head_ didn't apparate into an occupied toilet," Harry joked.

Freeing him from the temporary prison, Harry and Buster scanned their surroundings.

"Where the bloody hell are we?" Harry muttered.

"We _must_ be directly under the brig," Buster answered. "I'd recognize Cormac's annoying laugh _anywhere_."

They made their way to a metal staircase and listened carefully for noises before opening the metal door. Looking left and right, they proceeded down the hall. The sound of multiple footfalls approaching made them duck behind a pallet stacked high with wooden boxes. Don Bartolo was walking towards the brig with a company of his _Campeones_.

When they were finally rounded the corner out of sight, Buster tapped Harry on the shoulder and pointed to one of the wooden boxes. The emblem of a skull over two orchids crossed over a globe was stamped on all of them.

"And I thought _Voldermort_ was crazy," Harry muttered. "This guy doesn't know what he's doing. Which makes him a _million_ times worse."

"What do you mean, mate?" Buster asked.

"Don't you understand?" Harry explained. "There _are_ no _purebloods_ anymore. Get it? This fool could kill us ALL."

"We'll stop him," Buster tried to reassure himself. "Right? We're...we're _united_ this time. And...and _we_ have **Harry Potter**."

Harry looked away.

There was so much more at stake this time around.

His shoulders suddenly felt very heavy...

**Chapter 32 **_**Out to Sea**_

All eyes were on Don Bartolo as he entered. His presence cast a pall over the brig as all the laughter from earlier disappeared. On his signal, two Campeones brought Draco to him.

"I woulda tink _joo_ of all people would apprecheate what I'm ees trying to do, no?" Bartolo asked him.

"The mass murder of innocents?" Draco replied.

"A world free of dee Muggle _scum_ dat poisons our world, miho," Bartolo continued. "Jor fodder canna apprecheate dis. Why is can't _joo_?"

"I'm not my father," Draco answered and then spit in his face. "And neither are _joo_."

Wiping his face with the sleeve of his robe, Bartolo went on, "Do joo know why is my power so mucha more pure and uh powerful than any wizard alive today, miho?"

"Generations of _inbreeding_?" Draco joked.

This time Bartolo punched him square on the chin and sent him backwards into the two Campeones.

"Thought so," Draco said with a giggle.

After picking him back up by the throat, Bartolo warned, "I uh promise jor fodder I let joo live…butta _accidents_ do happen, miho."

Bartolo shoved him back into the cell with the rest of the boys and left.

Ron helped Draco to his feet.

"That was brave but this guy could have us killed at any time, Draco," Ron warned.

"If he wanted us dead we'd be dead _already_, Weasley," Draco pointed out.

"Well that's it then," Cormac added. "We've got to find a way out 'o here, lads."

"Already working on it," Draco went on as he produced a wand. "Swiped it from one of those _Campeones_ he shoved me into."

"Brilliant," Ron beamed. "What's the plan?"

"Well, we get the bloody hell out of this cell for starters," said Draco. "Zach! Call that idiot guard over."

Zacharias walked to the cell bars and called to the guard standing by the exit door.

"Oi! _Cucaracha_!" he yelled.

"Shuddup, _Gringo_," the guard answered back.

Changing tactics Zacharias turned around and lifted his kilt to show the guard Romilda's G-string panties. He then proceeded to shake his arse and slap each buttock alternately while singing "La Cucaracha! La Cucaracha!"

"Come and get it, big boy," Zacharias teased.

"Ohhhhh joo….joo stupid little ma..ri..**cón**!" the guard warned as he approached.

Finally, the guard was within wandshot as Draco sprang into action.

"_Stupefy_!" Draco yelled.

The guard crumpled and fell face first to the floor five feet from them.

"Alohomora!" Draco continued as he tried to open the lock. Unfortunately, nothing happened.

"Wonderful," Ron complained. "The locks are charmed so we actually _do_ need the keys."

"Gee, you couldn't wait 'til he was a little closer, Draco?" Michael chided.

"I _panicked_, okay!" Draco shot back.

Pointing the wand at the guard's belt, Draco tried to get them, "Accio key!"

The key floated but could not free itself from the guard's belt.

"Shyte!" Cormac cursed. "That son of a bitch thought of _everything_."

"Accio...big, fat _GUARD_!" Draco tried.

The guard's body started to slide across the floor towards Ron's eager hand when a familiar pair of boots appeared.

"And I was actually _worried_ about you guys?" Harry joked.

Harry unlatched the keys and opened the cell door for them.

"Does anyone know where we are?" Michael asked.

"Somewhere in the _Med_, I think," Buster answered.

"How do you figure?" Michael asked.

"I heard some sailors on a passing trawler speaking _Italian_," Buster replied.

"Well, wherever we are," Harry continued. "We should lay low 'til we get to their destination."

"The cargo hold's loaded with barrels," Buster suggested. "Let's just make like barrel of pickels and stew for a while."

"Well, that's better than hiding in a _trash bin_," Zacharias said as he eyed Ron with a dirty look.

They tied up the guard and locked him in a supply closet and headed for the cargo hold together.

Chapter 33 **Arrival at Malta**

Deep in the cargo hold, Harry and the boys found it hard to pass the time in their respective barrels.

"Hey, Zach," Michael whispered. "Can you hand me another cracker, mate?"

Zacharias reached his hand out of a side hole in his barrel and handed Michael another cracker.

"Now hand over some _American_ cheese this time," Zacharias demanded.

"What did I hand you last time?" Michael asked.

"Swiss," Zacharias answered.

"Argh! This Spanish caviar's nasty," Draco groaned. "Why couldn't this guy be _Russian_? At least I'd be snacking on _beluga_."

"Oh Shyte," Cormac cursed. "I've gone and spilt some Vienna sausages on me pants."

"Why don't you guys talk a little _louder_?" Ron added. "Make it easier for them to find us? Now shut up and hand me another cracker."

Suddenly the ship rocked and the sound of the engines reversing filled the air. A few seconds later, the alarm sounded.

"Sit tight, lads," Harry warned. "I think they finally found out you've gone missing."

The lights came on and groups of _Campeones_ were frantically running to and fro. Capitan Jorge Castillo and his detachment were now searching the hold. Castillo stood with his back to the barrels scanning the area. As he did, Michael reached out with his lighter and tried to light his ass on fire. Ron wisely reached out and slapped his arm back inside.

"Paco!" Castillo screamed. "Getta jor lazy ass ober here, _cabrón_!"

"Si, Jefe?" Paco asked.

"Joo hob José and his maricónes searcha dee first compartamente!" Castillo ordered. "And joo checka dis place for dee prisoners."

"Si, Jefe," Paco answered as he turned to walk away.

As he did, Ron popped up his head and in his best Castillo impression added, "Nevermind deeze barrels, _cabrón_!"

Stopping quickly to turn around and salute Castillo, Paco added, "Si, Capitan!"

"Que?" Castillo asked.

"I said, 'Si, Capitan'!" Paco answered.

"Oh, cut dee $heet, pendejo!" Castillo yelled. "Getta jor lazy ass to work!"

Paco went about his business as confused as ever. The boys held tight in their barrels as some sailors hooked their pallet to a crane and hoisted them out of the cargo hold.

"Ohhhh, that ocean breeze feels good under my kilt," Zacharias moaned. "I'm starting to _like_ this thong."

Michael did the same thing in _his _barrel, "OOOooo…you're right. Maybe I'll make like a Scot from now on and wear a kilt."

"Please shut up," Draco groaned as the pallet was loaded onto a truck.

Wherever they were going, the road was bumpy. Harry peered out of the hole in his barrel every now and then but could only see the blur of the landscape.

"Can anyone see a roadsign or something?" Harry asked them.

Ron peered out of his barrel hole, "Last sign I saw said 'Dingli' but that was in the opposite direction of where we're headed."

"Then we're definitely in _Malta_," Draco announced. "I saw a sign that pointed to _Ta' Cassia._ So I'm guessing that's where we're headed."

Suddenly the truck pulled off the road and took a turn into a mountain pass.

"Or _not_," Harry added.

After another half hour of driving, the truck drove through a magical barrier and onto smooth pavement.

"Oi, things got _dark_," Cormac commented.

The truck finally made a stop and the pallet was hoisted off the truck and planted in a warehouse.

Quietly peering out of his barrel, Harry scanned their surroundings.

"Let's go, lads," Harry whispered. "The coast is clear."

Wherever they were, the seven of them were alone and miles from help.


	3. Chapter 34 and 35

**Chapter 34 ****The mad scheme of Don Bartolo**

The noise of steam purging and machinery buzzing filled the air as Harry and the boys weaved their way through a maze of massive pipes and concrete walls. _Campeones_ were milling about in their familiar hooded burgundy robes.

"We need to nab some robes," Harry warned.

"Leave that to _me_," Zacharias offered.

Peering around a corner at a group of four, Zacharias lifted his kilt and stuck his butt out. And in his most _effeminate_ voice, lured them over with a, "YooooHoooooo."

After the brief scuffle, the boys were in business.

"Whew," Michael sighed. "Good to get on a pair of pants again." 

"More importantly, we've got _wands_ now," Ron added.

"The better to _Avada Kedavra_ ya with my dear," Buster joked.

Another group of _Campeones_ came around the corner just as the boys were stuffing the bodies into a supply closet.

"Oi! What's going on 'ere!?" one of them shouted.

"Ah! You speak English," Harry asked.

"Of course, ya twit," he answered back. "We're an _international_ group and...and aren't you Harry Po-"

A barrage of _Avada Kedavra_ spells later, the boys found themselves desperately trying to stuff the remaining bodies in the supply closet.

"Damn, that guy was fat," Cormac groaned. "Let's keep our hoods on in case anyone _else_ recognizes us."

As they made their way around the corner they followed the crowd up a large staircase. The sight before them took their breath away.

"What the bloody hell is _that_?" Ron muttered as they looked skyward.

An enormous Delta-shaped craft was floating above.

"Okay..._now_ what?" Zacharias asked.

"We get _in_ that thing," Harry guessed.

"What the plan _then_?" Ron probed.

"Well seeing as I didn't think we'd get _this_ far, I don't bother to _formulate_ one," Harry answered simply.

As they climbed a floating staircase to the gangway of the craft, Draco noticed a group of men loading miniature delta-shaped objects onto a conveyor belt that led to another bay of the craft.

"Harry," Draco called out as he pointed to the boxes the objects came from. They were marked with the skull and crossed orchids symbol.

"So that's how he's going to do it," Harry feared.

They made their way into the craft and looked around. Most were gathering in a large auditorium. While others were going about their business in the hallways.

"Quick...over _here_," Draco said as he ducked into a recess in the hall.

Draco produced three Scallop shells from his robe.

"Use these," he continued. "They work like those _walkie talkies_ the muggles use." 

"Oh..._shell_ phones?" Cormac asked.

"In a way," Draco answered. "But they only speak to each other. You can't _dial_ to another one."

"So we're splitting up?" Zacharias asked.

"This thing is enormous," Draco continued. "We've _got_ to cover as much ground as possible."

"Gather _intelligence_," Harry concluded.

"We find a way to _neutralize_ those orchids," Draco added. "Even if we have to kill everyone on this craft to do it."

"Agreed," they all answered in unison.

"Good luck, everyone," Buster added.

Harry, Ron and Buster went one direction as Draco and Cormac went another. Michael and Zacharias decided to follow the crowd into the auditorium. After finding themselves a seat they looked around. There were no familiar faces until a wizard with a black cloak approached a podium and began to speak.

"Phineus Lovejoy?" Zacharias muttered.

"After all the SHYTE we went through to get that idiot back in Azkaban...," Michael groaned.

"Welcome, brethren," Lovejoy started. "Welcome to the dawn of a new era. In mere hours, we will see the fulfillment of a dream that has spanned generations. A dream made possible by the Spanish visionary Don Bartolo Aragon. No longer will be relegated to ducking around corners, _hiding_ from the filth of the muggle world. No longer will we sit and watch as they pollute and destroy our world. In mere hours...they will be nothing more than a painful memory, the stench of their rotting corpses unlike the stench they have wrought upon the world for centuries. And years hence...there will be no TRACE of them. And the world and all it's BEAUTY will be our gift to future generations of wizards and witches."

As the audience responded with thunderous applause, Michael and Zacharias left to continue their intelligence gathering.

"Idiot had muggle parents," Michael pointed out.

**Chapter 35 ****Draco to the Rescue?**

Draco unscrewed a vent cover as Cormac stood guard.  
"Good thing these vents are big enough to _walk_ in," Draco commented. "It's almost like _asking_ to be spied on."

They entered the vent, looked around and followed it to a large central vent area. There were 4 other vent/_hallways_ radiating out in a circular pattern. The noise of a large blower was deafening.

"Look! There's a map on the wall!" Cormac yelled.

They approached the map and saw that two of them led to sleeping quarters while another to the brig.

"We'll head for the brig!" Draco yelled. "And maybe gather some _allies_!" 

After an exhaustive twenty minutes of squeezing through some tight _bottle-necked_ regions, they reached the brig and peered through the louvred vent. All they could see was one man sitting on the floor reading from a notebook. As Draco squinted to see, he was relieved to have found the unwilling architect of this whole fiasco.

"Pssst...Neville!" Draco whispered.

Neville looked around for a second before noticing the faint outline of someone in the vent. But strangely he looked away and grunted loudly and tried to point to the area directly _below_ the vent.

"Neville!" Draco called louder only to be answered by another loud grunt and a series of coughs. 

"Cough!GUARD!Cough!" Neville tried to warn him. 

"NEVILLE!" Draco yelled.

Just then the vent cover was ripped away by a burly guard and a large hand was at Draco's throat. Draco tried to fire off a spell only to have the guard knock the wand out of his hand. As the guard tried to pin Draco against the bars, he kicked his legs up and pushed backwards. Neville tried to help by grabbing the guard from behind but the guard merely threw his head backwards connecting with his face and then kicked him in the stomach.

"Cormac!" Draco yelled out as the guard struggled with him. "Cormac, you Irish _prick_!" 

Cormac finally sprung into action and jumped the guard from above and freeing Draco. Draco finally got a hold of the wand and killed the guard with an _Avada Kedavra_ spell.

"What the bloody hell were you _waiting_ for!?" Draco asked.

"That's a SIX FOOT DROP!" Cormac yelled back. "I couldA _hoyt_ meself!"

"Ummm...why are _you_ guys here?" Neville asked.

"We stowed away with Harry and Ron," Draco explained. "Michael, Zacharias and Buster are here too."

"YOU?!" Neville asked, confused as ever. "Mister _'I hate MUDBLOODS'?_"

"It's a long story, Longbottom," Draco sighed. "It'll make a wonderful bedtime story for Scorpius. Let's just get the hell out of here for starters."

"Who's _Scorpius_?" Neville asked.

"Arrrgh, my unborn _child_, Neville," Draco explained. "I _told_ you it was a long story! Now can we just _go_?!" 

"Right," Neville agreed.

Struggling to climb up to the vent entrance that was six feet up, Neville tried desperately but needed help. Cormac and Draco each grabbed a leg and struggled to push him up.

"Ya know...it's a good thing you're not a great big **FAT** guy," Draco groaned. "Otherwise this would be _REALLY_ difficult!"

After much grunting and groaning they finally managed to get him into the vent and followed suit. 

Hopefully Harry and Ron had similar luck...


	4. Chapter 36 and 37

**Chapter 36 **_**Sneakin' About and Raising Hell**_

Harry felt a sudden buzz against his leg and ducked into another hall recess with Ron and Buster. Pulling out the shell, he pressed it to his ear and listened.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Potter, we have Neville," Draco announced. "We're in the vent system."

"That was a stroke of luck," Harry answered. "But what happens when they find he's missing?" 

"I've got a plan Harry," Neville called out. "Get in the vent system. Follow the green arrows and meet us at the east vent of the apothecary chamber. It's on Level D, two floors below the main auditorium."

"Michael? Zach? Are you listening?" Harry called out.

"We read ya, Harry," Michael answered. "We'll meet ya there."

As they broke contact, Harry, Ron and Buster looked around.

"To hell with this walking the halls," said Ron. "I say we get in the vent system NOW."

"He's right, Harry," Buster added. "It's only a matter of time before someone _else_ recognizes you."

"Alright," Harry agreed. Together they walked to a hall recess on the other side which had a vent and ducked inside.

Deep inside the vent network, Draco and Cormac followed Neville down a ladder to a lower level and down another long vent corridor. The deafening roar of the blower system was diminished but ever present.

"It's a little quieter on this end," Cormac commented as they stopped to catch their breath. "What's this plan of yours, mate?"

"Let's get all the lads together, first," Neville answered. "We'll need to coordinate."

A loud thud above them caused them to draw their wands. But the familiar voices of Michael and Zacharias eased their fears.

"What the hell's the matter with you?!" Michael yelled.

"This bloody robe's a tad too long," Zacharias complained as they made their way to the green level ladder.

"So...can I have a _hint_ at the plan, mate?" Cormac asked as they crouched down in the hall leading to the apothecary vent.

After striking him on the back of the head, Draco chided, "Will you shut up and wait like he _asked_?" 

Sitting down next to Neville, Draco whispered, "So...what's the _plan_?" 

Looking away and shaking his head, Neville simply ignored him. After a long wait, Harry, Ron and Buster joined them too as they crouched down in the hall next to the apothecary vent.

"Okay, what's the plan?" Harry asked.

"First, we need to get into the apothecary chamber and mix as much _Reductoserum_ as possible for each of us," Neville started. "Then we raise hell...then we get caught."

After a brief exchange of incredulous stares, Zacharias answered with, "What part of this plan sounds incredibly _stupid_ to the rest of you guys?"

"What exactly _is_ reductoserum?" Harry asked.

"It allows you to _lie_," Neville explained. "Even when forced to drink _Veritaserum_. It's name is based on the Latin word for _lie_ rather than the spell for blasting solid objects aside."

"For what bloody _purpose_, Neville?" Draco asked, confused as ever.

"Things have been set in motion already, lads," Neville went on. "Just..._LET_ Don Bartolo think he has the upper hand. It's _vital_. It'll be more believable if we split up and wreak havoc for the next couple of hours. We hit the food stores with Incendio spells, the sleeping quarters with Serpensortia spells, and most importantly, we knock out the cloaking device on level B between the ship's aft engines. Basically do everything you'd ordinarily do. But be sure to get _caught_, alright?"

"I dunno, mate," Cormac doubted. "I'd rather blow this whole bloody craft out of the air." 

"I am _totally_ confused, Neville," Harry argued. "What the hell good can come out of getting caught again?"

"He's already lost, Harry," Neville said plainly. "As long as he thinks his grand plan will work."

"What aren't you telling us?" asked Ron.

"Nothing more than you need to know," Neville concluded. "Just know that Don Bartolo's fatal flaw is his _pride_. Let him have it...let him _choke_ on it."

Draco slapped Buster and decided, "I _love_ this plan! What the hell, eh? We get caught, maybe tortured, get our testicles shaved, maybe get the _Rictusempra_ treatment, who knows what _else_ fun we can have, eh?!"

"Alright then...let's raise hell," Harry decided.

Climbing down from the vent into the apothecary chamber, Harry and the boys set out to mix as much Reductoserum as they could carry in portable hip flasks.  
When they were done, they split up again.

Harry, Ron and Buster set out to the sleeping quarters to wreak havoc with the _Serpentsortia_ spell. Draco, Cormac and Neville set fire to the food stores with the _Incendio_ spells. All the while they kept attention away from Michael and Zacharias who set out to deactivate the cloaking device. With alarms blaring and warnings overheard on loudspeakers, the boys let slip the dogs of war.

After a particular loud boom, Draco, Cormac and Neville split up wreaking as much havoc as possible.

"You shall perish in flames! You shall perish in flames!" Draco yelled as he raced up the hall. "You and ALLLLLL your _Camp PEE-ONs_!" 

Racing down another hall, Cormac let loose with his Irish pride, _"A Naaaaaaaation once! A Naaaaaaaation once again! And lreland, long a province, be a Naaaaaation once again!"_

Harry collided with Neville and Buster just as they rounded a corner.

Getting back to their feet Neville stopped Harry as he tried to run the other direction.

"Oh no, mate!" Neville warned. "_Flames_ that way!"

"Oh yeah?" Harry shot back. "SNAKES _that_ way!"

Seeing a corridor full of robed figures trying to give chase while dodging the fangs of various snakes seemed a lot less palatable as they braved the flames with Campeones in, literally, _hot_ pursuit.

Ron was running down a staircase laughing at the top of his lungs. His path eventually merged with Draco who was fast running out of breath.

"Going _my_ way?" Ron joked.

"We're running out of hallway, Weasley!" Draco laughed.

"I know," Ron laughed back. "We're screwed!"

"We take a dive on three, eh?!" Draco suggested.

"Why not!?" Ron agreed.

"One...two...three!" Draco counted and jumped at a group of Campeones heading their way.

"Yippee Kai YAAAAAAAAAAAY!" Ron bellowed as he jumped too.

Harry and company fared even worse having been cornered by the _snicker_ famoose Capitan _Jorge Castillo_ in the main auditorium.

It was left to Michael and Zacharias to complete their mission...

**Chapter 37** **Zacharias and Michael's Climb**

With alarms blaring and _Campeones_ scurrying about, Michael and Zacharias set out for the aft section. The tight labyrinth of pipes and vent shafts made the going tough. At one point, Michael caught Zacharias by the arm as he almost plunged down an elevator shaft.

"Let's hope that cloaking device is at ground level," Michael sighed.

As they forged ahead, they came upon a map of the aft section on a wall. It was just a matter of getting their bearings.

"Shouldn't this have one of those '_You are HERE'_ arrows?" Zacharias groaned.

"Well, the letters correspond to this legend at the right," Michael explained. "These red boxes marked with an _'X' _are the west elevators we just passed…and these colors on the map correspond with these _arrows_ on the walls."

Tracing a path with his finger, Michael continued, "So if we follow the blue arrows here…then turn left at the purple section…it'll lead us directly to the cloaking device circuitry."

"Okay…_then _what?" Zacharias asked.

"We _deactivate_ it or _short it out_," Michael answered.

"How?" Zacharias persisted.

"I don't know!" Michael threw up his hands. "You got a _hairpin_ we can stick in it or something? Let's just cut wires or push buttons or…_something_!"

Following the blue arrows for what seemed like an eternity, they came to a dead end at a hall with purple arrows and turned left toward their destination. To their dismay the cloaking device circuitry was situated atop a tower approximately one hundred meters tall.

"Well, ain't that just _perfect_?!" Zacharias complained.

Not only was it a long way to the top, but the blowers for the vent system were very strong in the area. A constant gale force winds from above was blowing upon them. They found it impossible to traverse the narrow gangplank to the tower on foot and resorted to crawling instead. When they finally reached the other side, Zacharias almost fainted. Crouching down at the base of the tower, he resigned himself to sitting put.

"I can't," Zacharias sighed. "I can't make it, mate."

"Well just sit tight, Zach," Michael assured him. "Watch out for _Campeones_."

"Be careful, Michael," Zacharias said.

Michael began the long, slow climb up a narrow ladder. Every now and then, the wind would gust so strong it forced him to lock his arms around one of the rungs to keep from being blown off. Halfway up, his arms were so weak he contemplated climbing back down. The thought of a large chunk of the entire world population dying kept him going.

All these years in the background and here was in the absolute thick of things. The battle of Hogwarts was but a distant memory. His thoughts drifted back to his first case under Harry, involving a nameless wizard the Ministry nicknamed _Jack_,with a taste for mutilating female wizards in order to steal magical fetuses. After struggling with the next ten rungs, he tried to remember the accolades he received after he and Ron nabbed Phineas Lovejoy. How surprised he was to receive such a handsome reward for rescuing the Hope Diamond from Lovejoy's clutches. How proud he felt knowing he stopped Lovejoy from using it to power the legendary _Necromancer_ _Wand_. All the while knowing it wasn't just for the greater good, but to help Harry who was battling his own inner demons through it all.

Why couldn't the world behave itself for at least one blasted _DECADE_?

He reached the top and almost slipped as he grabbed the final rung only to see a familiar hand grab his wrist and hold firm.

"What the…?" Michael looked up, confused as ever.

"Oh...there was an elevator on the _other_ side of the tower," Zacharias said with a grin.

Looking around, they noticed six emerald-tipped rods pointing towards a large crystal on a ceiling fifty feet above them. Grabbing one of the rods and pulling it from its circuit port, Michael laughed as the lights around them dimmed and the loud humming ceased.

"Well, _that_ was easy," Michael quipped.

Looking at the emerald tip, Zacharias took out his multi-tool and pried it loose and pocketed it.

"For my _retirement_," he said as Michael shot him an accusing glance. "I don't have quite the dowry _you_ have, mate."

Michael nodded in agreement and helped him pry the others loose before they threw the rods over the side and permanently disabled the cloaking device.

"Ready to get _caught_?" Michael asked.

"Yeah," Zacharias answered. "Let's hope Neville's right."

At least this timethey _both_ took the elevator down.


	5. Chapter 38 and 39

**Chapter 38** **A Lying we will go**

With two goons holding his arms behind his back while he was seated, Harry winced and gagged as Castillo held his nose and poured Veritaserum into his mouth.

"So dee famoose _Harry Potter_ decided to pay us visit, no?" Castillo teased.

"Y-yes," Harry lied between coughing spells.

"So…joo bring some _amigos_ wit joo, no?" Castillo probed.

"J-just two others…," Harry admitted freely. "In the vent system."

Turning to Paco, Castillo barked order, "Joo go wit dee rest of jor _pendejos_ and hunta down deez _cucarachas_!"

Turning to another group of burly Campeones, he added, "And take uh dee rest of deez maricónes to Don Bartolo."

Exchanging knowing nods with Neville, Harry and the rest of their companions were ushered to the bridge. The bridge was a large oval-shaped three-tiered area towards the tip of the delta-winged craft. Dozens of workers manning computer screens and control panels worked with their backs to the open pit area in the middle. There in the middle of the pit stood Don Bartolo with Phineas Lovejoy by his side.

"Well well," Lovejoy started. "We meet again."

"It's absolutely _disgusting _to see you again, Lovejoy," Harry remarked, hoping to create the illusion that the Veritaserum was still working.

"Awww…I'm hurt," Lovejoy continued. "Surely Weasley misses me, eh?"

"I confess," Ron joked. "I hope you die of gonorrhea and burn in hell."

Lovejoy drew his wand but Don Bartolo grabbed his wrist and forced it down.

"Do not be rude, Luvajoy," Bartolo ordered. "Our uh guests hob lost dee manners from dee Veritaserum."

Turning to Harry, Don Bartolo looked him up and down and started to extend a hand in friendship. Realizing his mistake, he withdrew it.

"It ees an honor to meet joo," Bartolo offered. "Pretty soon joo and I weel be dee most revered wizards in dee world."

"I already am, I think," Harry said. "Not sure the word _revered_ is a word I'd associate with _your _name, though."

"Jor defeat here weel change dee minds of _everyone_, Señor Potter," Bartolo boasted as he brought his face close to Harry's. "For whom else do deez _morons_ revere above _JOO?_ Dee Ministry will scatter like cucarachas when dee lights are turn on. Day know not dee full power of dissa skyship. Any attack weel…be…futile. So jor stoopid leetle shenanigans were a waste of time, miho."

Just then Paco and several _Campeones_ entered with Michael and Zacharias in tow. Zacharias' chin was still dripping with Veritaserum as Paco shoved him to the ground. As Zacharias flew forward, so did his robe and kilt, revealing his g-string to all.

Zacharias jumped to his feet quickly to the sound of dozens of groans and others making puking sounds. Even Don Bartolo's face was contorted into a look of genuine nausea.

"Ma…ri…cón!" Bartolo groaned.

Taking a moment to compose himself Bartolo began to question them, "What were joo doing in dee vent system, eh?"

"Lastly we were looking for a bathroom, sir," Zacharias groaned.

"After we knocked out the _cloaking_ _device_, of course," Michael added.

Turning to a subordinate on the second tier, Bartolo shouted, "José! Es dee _cloaking device_ working?!"

Frantically turning knobs and clicking buttons, Jose groaned at the sight of the word _'Deactivated'_ on his screen.

"No, Don Bartolo," he announced.

"Julián!" Bartolo barked at another man seated behind Paco. "Es all dee deathwings on board?"

"Si, Don Bartolo," Julián answered.

"Den get us dee hell out of here!" Bartolo barked at the helmsmen.

Grabbing Michael by the throat, Bartolo probed further, "What dee hell else did joo maricónes do?"

"Well," Michael answered in a squeaky voice due to Bartolo's vice grip on his neck. "We snuck into your quarters…went through your personal stuff…we made some long distance phone calls…ate some of the tacos from your personal refrigerator…dang things gave me gas…couldn't stop fartin' for a whole hour…tried on some of your underwear…I think I accidentally squeezed a little turd onto your _silk_ ones…we tossed off to some of your dirty magazines…you might want to change your sheets, by the way…"

Fed up and disgusted with Michael's revelation, Bartolo threw him across the floor at Harry's feet. He then went to a communications panel and shoved the communications officer aside.

"Miguel!" he snapped upon pushing a button. "What joo doing?"

"Hola, Don Bartolo," Miguel responded. "Juss cleaning jor quarters wit Jorge, Señor."

"What dee hell happen?!" Bartolo demanded as Jorge let out a puking sound in the background.

"I tink someone pees all ober jor cheets, patron," Miguel answered as Jorge and another individual groaned loudly in the background. "Aye, Chihuahua…someone took a _sheet_ in jor refrigerator, Señor."

Turning to the eight captives, Bartolo calmly said, "And joo call jorselves _civilized_?"

"Set a course for England," Bartolo barked to his helmsman.

Don Bartolo turned his back to them as he continued barking orders to his men. All the boys could do now was hope Neville was right as they all stood by helplessly, surrounded by _Campeones_ with wands pointed at them.

The view outside the portholes made it clear they were departing from Malta. Neville breathed a sigh of relief but Harry felt a growing knot in his stomach.

**Chapter 39** **Confronting the past…preparing for battle**

Cornelius Fudge stood in the middle of the briefing room staring at satellite photos and radar screens on the walls. The realtime video showed Bartolo's airship on a heading for England. His heart sank at how ineffective his administration has been, having to rely on others to save it. The loud chatter of agents collecting data and chatting on phones was starting to get to him as he walked in Hermione's direction. Hermione was busy coordinating plans with international authorities when he approached.

"May I have a word…_Commander_ Granger?" he asked.

"Certainly, Mr. Fudge," she answered with a gruff tone.

Safe within the confines of his office Fudge hoped Hermione would be a little gracious. He was wrong.

"I know the past 5 years have been rather rough," Fudge began. "Your new rank as commander is well deserved. I only hope you believe me when I say that things will be _different_ from here on out."

"I _know_ they will be," Hermione shot back. "Because I won't be here."

"But I was hoping that..."

"I have given more than I bargained for in the past five years, Mister Fudge. And it cost me dearly. I can't bear to work here anymore. Not when I have a chance at happiness. I owe the Ministry _nothing_. The Ministry, or I daresay the _world_ owe me _everything_!"

"Believe me…I am deeply sorry about your unborn child…I'm sorry we didn't catch _Jack_ before he…I'm…I'm sorry I couldn't get you out of Azkaban sooner…I'm sorry for _everything_, Hermione!"

For the first time in the seven years she's worked for him, Hermione saw Fudge break down and cry. It brought her neither the satisfaction nor the outright joy she was expecting. How could it? The most precious gift one could ever share with the one they loved was sadistically snatched away. The Ministry, in its supreme incompetence failed to stop _Jack_ before his escape to Iscandia, a wizarding island without an _extradition_ treaty. And poor Hermione, a distraught _unmarried _would-be mother, breaking the law to bring the monster to justice. Why had the Ministry not come to her aid? Why did the efforts of family members of _Jack's_ other victims, mutilated and left for dead, go in vain? How could the Ministry be _stupid_ enough to believe Dolores Umbridge would make a good defense attorney, given her _history_ with Hermione? Were it not for the efforts of agent Romilda Vane, she may very well have spent another _decade_ in Azkaban. The evidence found in _Jack_'_s_ island bungalow, illegally taken though it was, offered Romilda the leverage she needed to secure Hermione's release.

"You'll have my resignation when this is all over, Mister Fudge," Hermione stated coldly as she turned and left his office.

Romilda awaited her as she passed orders via telephone to field units. From the look on Hermione's face she could tell the inevitable had taken place. She dared not discuss it.

"I've taken the liberty of attaching Seamus, Dean and Gregory Goyle to our Gold team reserve squad, _Commander_ Granger," Romilda informed her. "The Blue team is in position at Gibraltar and the Red team is awaiting the arrival of the _Ripper_ squad in Cherbourg."

"Are the _Rippers_ as good as they say they are?" Hermione asked.

"Several of them are ex-Aurors who were former world-class Quidditch players," Romilda answered. "Oliver Wood is their flight leader. Your old friend Victor is second-in-command."

"Krum?" Hermione gasped.

Romilda brought up the skyship schematics on the big screen and brought her up to speed on the gist of the battle plan.

"The _Rippers_ will conduct strafing runs towards the rear of the airship where, according to the plans stolen from…_Jack's _bungalow, the main reactor is located," Romilda continued. "Red team will then open a corridor for Blue to commence infiltration of the ship itself. We estimate Bartolo's troop strength at 200 within the ship itself. But a majority of them will no doubt be needed for regular operation of the ship itself. By the time they're in range of our attack groups, the American Delta Wizards along with the British Special Wizarding Air Service will strike at Bartolo's Malta base and pave the way for the main assault group."

Hermione smiled to herself. With the best at her disposal, how could they lose?


	6. Chapter 40,41 & 42

**Chapter 40 ****The Final Mushroom**

Don Bartolo walked in the boys' direction and waved his wand. Michael and Zacharias tried to move from their chairs but were pushed back down by guards. A large marble table rose up from the floor with a life-sized figure of a man in the center. The statue was naked except for a knight's helmet and cape which had the figure of a Maltese cross on it, indicating he was a Templar. Harry immediately noticed that the statue was missing a key feature unique to males.

"You've got to be kidding me," Ron muttered.

"I_ knew_ it looked an awful lot like a _winky_," Harry moaned.

"Jor efforts to stop us have failed, Señor Potter," Bartolo boasted. "Joo tink dat leetle ruse at the Citadel fooled _me_?"

"What _ruse_?" Ron asked.

With a snap of his fingers, two goons dragged a dead Chinaman before them. With a wave of his wand, the man's face blurred for a moment then revealed a very different face. And _this_ face had a mole on its nose.

"Welcome to our party, Señor Tsung," Bartolo said as he walked over to Harry with the ruby mushroom in his hand. Dropping it at Harry's feet, he produced _another_ ruby mushroom from his pocket.

"Like I said…joo_ failed_," Bartolo hissed at Harry. "_Dis_ one, when put back in eet's original place, points to dee mushroom needed for dee spell to end _life_, miho. Ironic, eh? Dee spell to _end_ life associated wit an object in dee shape of dee thing that _gives_ life."

Looking over at Neville, Harry's sank as he saw him close his eyes and put his head in his hands. _Lee Tin Yee's_ ruse had failed.

Bartolo affixed the ruby mushroom onto the statue revealing that it was a ruby _penis_ all along. With a loud hum the statue vibrated and its eyes glowed within its helm. Then the statue spun on its base. The base was adorned with compass markings and pointed northwest. Bartolo then barked orders to his helmsman, who changed the airship's course to match the direction the ruby mushroom was pointing.

Draco slid his chair behind Neville's and probed for information, "Talk to me, Longbottom. What are our chances now?"

Neville remained silent and merely stared at the floor. Sliding back behind Harry, Draco tried to remain hopeful, "Potter, if you have _any_ ideas I'm open to them."

Harry remained silent as he continued to look over at Neville for signs of hope. He did not see any.

"Ready dee ship for apparation," Bartolo ordered.

Alarms sounded as a loud hum increased in strength and shook the ship. In a flash of white light, the airship apparated over Spain. Below the airship was a hidden mountain fortress.

"Es _Piedra Madre_, Don Bartolo," the helmsman announced.

"Hidden for four centuries," Don Bartolo muttered. "No mas. Ready dee _Campeones_ for ground assault."

More alarms sounded as Harry could see video monitors showing the side bays of the ship open and dozens of _Campeones_ descending upon the fortress on their brooms.

The headmaster of Piedra Madre was powerless. His fellow monks had kept the whereabouts of the Sapphire Mushroom hidden since the Crusades. Hidden deep in the Pyrenees near Maladeta, the fortress was miles from help and lacked modern communications capabilities. They stood alone. Harry could only sit and watch for the next half hour as video links showed monks falling one by one to the Campeones death curses. Neville looked up only when a _Campeone_ announced they had found the Sapphire Mushroom. A crescendo of cheers echoed throughout the ship as the final mushroom was brought on board.

"Ready the deathwings," Don Bartolo ordered.

Harry and his cohorts watched helplessly as one by one the Brass, Silver, Jade, and Sapphire Mushrooms were brought in. Don Bartolo waved his wand and another console emerged from the floor. This one had four large holes in which the mushrooms were placed in a crescent pattern facing the Templar statue. With Phineas Lovejoy and three other high wizards at his side, Don Bartolo began to recite the incantation.

"_Sanguinem bebimus…corpus edimus…adversus lanio…NEX DISCERPO, NEX DISCERPO, NEX DISCERPO!"_

As the four pointed their wands, the statue shuddered and the ruby _penis_ emitted a red ray from its head at the center of the other mushrooms. The other mushrooms each shot out a ray of white light. Above the console was a collector device which directed the energy towards the rows of deathwings in a glass tube above them.

"Launch dee first one at our European targets," Don Bartolo ordered. "And set a course for England."

A thunderous applause rang out as the first deathwing hummed to life and shot out of the tube towards its intended target. The reign of terror had begun.

Chapter 41**The Ministry Attacks**

"The whole bloody ship can apparate," Fudge muttered as he eyed the satellite feed.

"Doesn't matter," Hermione said. "We always know where they are and Don Bartolo will no doubt be gunning for you soon, Mr. Fudge."

"Right," Fudge nervously agreed.

"Commence the attack," Hermione ordered.

From their headquarters in Gibraltar the Blue team boarded their saucer shaped transport vehicle and headed straight for Bartolo's airship. From Cherbourg, the Red team boarded their transport vehicle as well. Oliver Wood and Victor Krum shook each other's hand as they boarded.

"We give dem hell, huh?" Krum asked Wood as he adjusted his earpiece.

"You just come back in one piece," Wood answered. "I've yet to beat you at chess. Com check, Ripper One."

"Acknowledged, Ripper One," came the response in his earpiece. "Blue One reads you loud and clear, over…Red One reads you loud and clear, over."

As the craft took off, Dean looked on with Seamus and Goyle. The rest of the Gold team looked nervous.

"Why don't I feel so good?" Seamus asked Dean.

"I don't feel right either, Seamus," Dean answered. "I feel like a truck's about to pass through and I'm going to wind up _under_ it."

Back at the Ministry, all eyes were fixed on the satellite feed as two blips on the screen approached Bartolo's airship.

"Blue team approaching target," Romilda announced. "The S.W.A.S. and Delta report Malta base is now under our control. Red team commencing flanking run."

Don Bartolo looked on confused. How had the Ministry tracked them?

"Enemy craft approaching," one of the radar operators announced.

"Extend one of dee forward wand batteries," Bartolo ordered as he grabbed hold of a microphone.

"Oh no," Neville muttered.

"Potter!" Draco whispered. "We can't just _sit_ here!"

"Be ready to follow my lead," Harry whispered back.

Half a mile south of their target, the Red team saucer opened its underbelly hatch.

"On point!" the pilot screamed over the noise of the rushing wind. The Red team stood by the hatch with brooms in hand. "Red team…GO!"

One by one the Red team launched themselves into the blue and towards an uncertain outcome.

"Rippers…GO!" the pilot screamed.

"Yippee Kai Yay!" Krum screamed as he jumped.

The Blue team approached from the south. Had they known what was about to happen they would have launched sooner. From the bridge of his airship Don Bartolo barked a curse into the microphone, "Expulso!"

From the front of the airship, the extended wand battery fired off a yellow bolt at the Blue team saucer as the Rippers commenced their attack on the main reactor. Krum looked on in horror as the Blue team saucer disintegrated.

"Blue team is out! Blue team is out!" Wood screamed into his mouthpiece. "Launch Gold! Launch Gold!"

Bolts of red and green whizzed past Krum's shoulders as he recovered from the shock.

"We got company!" he yelled into his mouthpiece as swarms of _Campeones_ filled the sky.

Hermione gasped in horror with the rest of her crew as thirty wizards lost their lives in an instant. Fudge helped steady her as she collapsed against a console.

"Gold leader!" Fudge barked into his mouthpiece. "You'll have to attempt infiltration without Blue! Launch NOW!"

Hermione regained her composure and called for the rookie squad, "Ready the Green team."

As a communications officer look at her as if she was crazy, Fudge barked, "You heard her! Ready the Green team."

As the call for Green team rang out, Romilda took off her headphones and started to walk out.

"Agent Vane?" Fudge asked.

"They'll need someone familiar with the schematics of that airship," Romilda explained.

"Launch early," urged Fudge. "Don't get within range of that cannon."

"Yes sir," Romilda answered and left.

"It's alright, Commander Granger," Fudged assured Hermione. "It goes with the job. Let's carry on, shall we?"

Hermione nodded and wiped away a tear.

From their Gibraltar base, Gold team boarded their saucer. Goyle was hesitant having seen the fate of the Blue team.

"C'mon, lad," Seamus urged. "Let's get the bastards back."

"Can you lads, fly?" Gold leader asked them.

"I've done some time on the Quidditch minor league circuit, mate," Dean answered.

"Then join our lads flying cover," Gold leader ordered. "We'll try and get inside that thing."

Dean and Seamus finally urged Goyle inside and the craft took off.

As a rosey dawn shone forth on the English Channel, the battle continued. Don Bartolo's airship was closing in on England. Red leader resorted to strafing runs while half his squad flew cover for them. One by one the members of Red team took out the starboard wand batteries but were hopelessly outnumbered. Red leader eyed the launch tube for the deathwings and tried to make a run for it but ran straight into an invisible shield and fell unconscious onto the hull of the airship. Red two joined him but Red three ordered the rest to break off the attack.

"Red One down! Red One down!" screamed Red three as he led his squad back towards the rear of the airship. "We're outnumbered!"

Chapter 42 **Help from Within**

From the bridge, Don Bartolo's frustration was growing as the attack slowed their ability to launch the deathwings. The attackers were slowly taking out the wand cannons one by one as well. The white cliffs of Dover were already in sight. His revenge was almost complete.

"Hijo de _puta_!" he muttered as he slammed the microphone down. "Launch all dee non-essential personnel. Kill deeze mosquitoes!"

"Target two online," the communications officer announced. With another loud hum and a flash of light, another deathwing was launched.

"Enemy crafts approaching," another one announced.

Harry bent down to pick up the decoy ruby mushroom as he eyed a console to his left labeled _"Horizontal stabilizer_". In the blink of an eye Harry threw the mushroom as hard as he could and shorted out one of the control panels. The ship leaned sharply to the left causing all onboard to be thrown in that direction. The ship began to dive towards the surface as well. The action resulted in a temporary state of weightlessness for all onboard.

Cormac and Ron slugged the nearest guards as they flew in their direction and took their wands. Buster grabbed another flying through the air but was flying towards an upper tier and threw it in Harry's direction. Harry somersaulted backwards through the air and grabbed it.

"Expulso!" Harry screamed as he took out the wand cannon's control panel.

"Expelliarmus!" Ron screamed as he fired at Don Bartolo a second later. To his dismay, Bartolo had quietly activated a shield charm over the main bridge controls and surrounding area.

A moment later Bartolo's men routed power to the main controls and the ship stabilized. Michael and Zach covered Harry and Ron from an upper tier as they retreated out of the bridge. Ron took a parting shot at the deathwing launch tube but his shot merely ricocheted and took out another Campeone.

Cheers echoed throughout the Ministry control room as sensored picked up the disturbance from within the airship itself.

From within the Gold team saucer Dean cheered, "Way to go, Harry!"

"Red three to Gold One! Starboard cannons out!" Red three called on the radio. "Pattern blocked with bogeys! Starboard corridor is not open! I repeat, _not_ open, over!"

"We read you, Gold leader out," Gold leader answered. "Well boys…let's have some fun."

With the pull of a lever, the underbelly hatch opened and Gold team dove into the blue one by one. Gritting his teeth, Goyle jumped in after them just as a loud crack rocked the saucer.

Dean and Seamus were thrown back against the wall as an alarm sounded. Looking up, Dean looked on in horror as a large hole was now where the cockpit was. The copilot was decapitated and the pilot was trying desperately to steady the saucer with one arm. His _other_ arm was hanging by a tendon and fluttered in the breeze momentarily before finally tearing free and landing at Dean's feet. Seamus struggled to help Dean to his feet as the saucer spun out of control.

"C'mon lad, we've got to get out of this thing!" Seamus groaned as they inched their way to the hatch. They fell to the floor face first as the saucer steadied itself. Looking up, Seamus saw the pilot clinging to life.

"Go!" the pilot yelled.

Grabbing their brooms, Dean and Seamus jumped and watched as the saucer flew on a collision course with the airship. Campeones tried desperately to take it down but the pilot found his mark and smashed a hole in the side of the airship a hundred feet wide.

Towards the rear of the airship Krum lost patience as he could no longer stand the sight of Red team on the defensive and losing wizards left and right.

"I've _had_ it, DAMN IT!" he yelled as he broke away to aid them.

The Green team saucer was fast approaching. But Krum warned them off.

"Get out of daht saucer, Green team!" Krum yelled into his mouthpiece. "You are seeting ducks!"

Romilda took heed as Green leader took his squad to the skies, "Get this saucer out of here!"

The Green team joined the fight and tried to lure the Campeones away with strafing runs to no avail. They wisely stood their ground and protected the ship with expert maneuvers. Goyle spotted a female green teamer in trouble and lent a hand positioning himself behind the bogey and taking him out. But his heart sank as she was hit by another. He dove to catch her only to find her body limp and lifeless with eyes open. Whoever she _was_…she was beautiful.

"You _bastards_!" he bellowed as he flew directly towards the left of a group of Campeones flying in formation. To hell with the magic, he thought as he used large frame to knock them all off their brooms and watched them fall two miles to their deaths. He then flew the lifeless body to the Green team saucer.

Krum was now looking for prey as he whizzed over the heads of a squad of Campeones. Performing a looping maneuver Krum was a little shocked to see none of them had given chase. Shooting down the nearest Campeone, Krum inspected the broom handle.

"Matador 109," he read with a smile. "Tight turns…no speed."

Laughing to himself, he dove into the swarm and began to scare away Campeones from the hole in the hull with pinpoint wand shots and fast getaways. Spotting the opening Romilda led her squad straight into the breech, firing away with her wand. Her squad headed for the bridge but encountered heavy resistance along the way.

Fighting their way _away_ from the bridge, Harry and the boys ducked into separate wall recesses as Campeones kept them from advancing.

"If we're going to fail, let's at least take Bartolo down," Draco yelled to Harry on the other side of the hall.

"We haven't failed," Neville laughed.

"What?" Ron asked, as befuddled as the rest of them probably were. "What the hell was all that '_Oh no!_ _We're screwed!_' crap back there?!"

"Let's just get out of here alive and I'll fill you boys in," Neville laughed. "You should've seen your faces."

"I hate you, Longbottom," Draco joked. "Remind me to _slap_ you later!"

If nothing more…hearing what Neville had to say was worth staying alive.


	7. Chapter 43, 44, 45 & 46

**Chapter 43 ****The Rescue**

Romilda's squad of twenty slowly made their way towards the bridge when they spotted red bolts hitting the Campeones from behind.

"Harry! Is that _you_?!" Romilda yelled.

"Yes!" Harry yelled back.

"You're clear up to here!" Romilda informed him.

As Harry and his cohorts ran down the hall, Romilda's squad fanned out, covering their advance.

"How'd you guys find us?" Harry asked.

"The homing beacon Zacharias is wearing," Romilda answered with a smile.

"What homing beacon?" Zacharias asked. But the feel of the g-string between his buttocks gave away the answer. "Oh for the love of…."

"So what's the plan now?" Ron asked.

"My crew will set charges around the main cooling unit in the upper deck and evac by saucer," Romilda explained. "It was our backup plan should taking out the reactor prove difficult."

"I'll stay and help," Buster offered with Cormac nodding in agreement.

"Where is this cooling unit?" Michael asked.

"Bridge, third tier, just behind the stabilizer controls," Romilda answered.

The long faces the boys showed weren't at all promising.

"What's wrong?" Romilda asked.

"Bartolo's got a shield charm on half the bridge," Draco answered. "I don't think he's just going to let us march in there."

"And he's a lot tougher than _Voldermort_ ever was," Cormac added.

"Keep him occupied," Romilda, not so sure of herself.

"Right," Harry agreed. "Let's move. And Neville, I want you right by my side."

"What for?" Neville asked.

"Because I _said_ so," Harry answered simply.

"My _grandmother_ used to say that," Neville muttered.

Together they reluctantly headed back to the bridge as the battle raged in the skies outside.

"Ripper Two, to Ripper One!" Krum called. "Come in, over!"

"Ripper One, over!" Wood answered.

"Day vill not leave dee safety of da ship and dee cover of dee wand batteries!" Krum answered. "Dare are too many wand batteries and bogeys around da reactor! Break off and fight! Let dee Green team take out dee airsheep from eenside, over!"

"Roger, over and out!" Wood agreed.

Wood took his squad out of harm's way, expertly dodging and weaving past wand batteries and Campeones spitting bolts of blue and green at them. Dean and Seamus were helping a wounded Gold team member back to the saucer when Krum approached.

"Good to see you, guys," Krum said. "I could use couple of wingmen for dee Weaver maneuver."

"We're with ya, mate," Seamus offered. "What's a Weaver maneuver?"

"We go full speed at 'em, wands blazing," Dean explained. "Then we circle back and do it over and over."

"Dee _Matadors 109_s can outmaneuver our _Lightning_ _Mark 2_s," Krum explained. "But day have no speed. Day weel not give chase."

"Outstanding," Seamus beamed. "Let's give 'em hell, eh?"

"Cover me," Krum finished.

The three flew at the main group of Campeone defenders and banked right before swooping down towards the fringe groups. Those fool enough to be on their own were no match for Krum's skill. And anyone fool enough to try and flank Krum met an end at the hands of Dean and Seamus. Gold leader followed suit, breaking his squad into groups of three and whittling away at the Campeone defenses.

**Chapter 44** **The Atlantean Death Crystal**

Inside the airship Bartolo's eyes were fixated on the video screen before him as Romilda's squad set charges to the main cooling unit. The video screen showed the craft was slowly approaching the Ministry building. As Harry looked on, Phineas Lovejoy spotted him and opened fire with his wand. Harry fired back but the shield charm held fast. Groups of Campeones began to fire back from above and below as Harry and his cohorts ducked for cover.

Sensing danger, Bartolo pulled on a large lever to his right. To Harry's horror, the ship began to split apart. The front half carried Bartolo and his cohorts away from Harry's half.

"Romilda!" Ron screamed. "We've got a _problem_!"

Romilda stopped just as the wind began to rush in and saw the front half of the airship slipping away. Frantically, she ordered her squad to stop setting charges.

"What the bloody hell do we do now?!" Ron bellowed.

From behind them groups of Campeones began to fire. Seeing Draco in harm's way, Buster jumped and shoved him out of the way but was hit squarely in the chest with a _Sectumsempra_ spell and fell backwards to the deck below. Draco's frantic screams were drowned out by the sound of the wind and the crackling sound of missed wand shots hitting the walls. Seamus pulled Draco back behind a wall and returned fire as Cormac kept Draco from jumping back into harm's way.

Harry looked on at the airship in the distance as a loud hum filled the air followed by a large wand from the bottom bay of the airship extending downwards. A very large crystal was fixed upon the end.

"Oh no….NO!" Neville screamed next to Harry.

"What the hell is _that_?!" Harry screamed back.

"It's one of the lost Atlantean _DEATH _crystals!" Neville answered. "Romilda! You've got to warn the Ministry!"

Romilda ducked into a quiet corner and screamed into her mouthpiece.

"Mr. Fudge!" she screamed. "Hermione! Get everyone the hell out of the building! Apparate the hell out of there NOW!"

They could only look on helplessly as the crystal began to glow and with an earsplitting screech, spat death at the Ministry below. The building glowed a bright blue before exploding into a million pieces in every direction.

"Noooooooooooo…..HERMIONEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Ron screamed into the wind as Harry hugged him tight. "Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

In that moment, Gold leader popped open the hatch above them urged them out. One by one Romilda and her crew filed up the ladder.

"Bridge controls," Ron muttered as he peered at a console below where Buster had fallen. He noticed Draco looking on as well. As they both made eye contact, Ron shoved Harry away and jumped to the deck below followed shortly by Draco.

"Ron!" Harry called out as he tried to jump after him. A sharp pain in his shoulder stopped him as Neville shoved him forward to avoid a killing curse. The force of Neville's shove made them overshoot the deck below and fall towards the ground 2 miles below. Lucky for them a couple of green team member caught them before they hit the ground and set them down gently on a hill.

"Oh god, Harry," Neville panted as he look on at the burning ruins of the Ministry building below them. "I had no idea."

"Give me a bloody broom," Harry hissed at one of the green team wizards. "And don't let Neville out of your sight."

The green team wizard complied and Harry took to the skies. But before he joined the fight, he made a quick stop at Hogwarts a few miles away. He took in the familiar sight with a brief sense of nostalgia as students scampered away. Entering the gravesite, he screamed out, "Accio _wand_!" The earth shook and the Elder wand freed itself from its hiding place in the Mausoleum of Honor.

Flying towards a broom store at the edge of Hogsmeade, he stopped in and noticed the new _Raptor_ model in the window. Crowds of students followed on foot as he landed and walked toward the shop. Harry winked at one of the pretty female students who had to be supported by her classmates as her knees buckled. He then took the _Raptor_ broom out of the window.

After throwing down a couple of gold sovereigns without speaking to the shop owner he took to the skies with his new ride.

**Chapter 45**** The Battle of Britain**

Back on the bridge of the ship, Ron tried to make sense of the controls as Draco knelt before Buster's bleeding corpse on the floor.

"No wand batteries…but we can steer," Ron complained.

"Then we can ram the bastard," Draco hissed, choking back tears.

"Keep me covered," Ron said. "For Hermione…for Buster…"

Without warning, Buster stood up behind them and shoved them off the bridge. Bleeding and in severe pain, he pushed two levers forward and steered the ship toward Bartolo.

"BUSTERRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Draco screamed as he fell to earth.

"Gotcha!" Harry grunted as he caught Ron and handed him the _Lightning Mark 2_ broom. A moment later, Seamus caught Draco as well. All they could do was look on in horror as Buster rammed the two halves of the airship back together.

Buster's life ended with a satisfied sigh as the last thing he saw was the spectacular collision between the two halves of the airship. The resulting fireball stretched for miles. Draco saluted and other wizards around followed suit.

Campeones were now frantically flying in all directions as the battle in the skies over Britain continued. Some were targeting civilian targets as several of them tried to take out the bridges over the Thames River. A loud whir rang out as Bartolo's airship fired the deathwing intended for Britain right at the heart of London. From above Harry could see it explode in Hyde Park and very quickly, vines of orchids sprang out all over the city.

"Don't worry, lads," Neville said as he flew close to them. "The fool stole the wrong spell."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"The _brass_ mushroom I sent you," Neville explained. "It was supposed to be _gold_. It's still back on Malta in a hidden chamber at the church of…._St. Mungo's_."

"Then what bloody spell is he using?" Harry probed further.

"The spell to _destroy_ Orchidaeceae Mortiferam," Neville answered. "Forever."

"Good work, Neville," Harry concluded. "Now let's _kill_ these clowns."

Harry dove at a squad of five Campeones and took them out with a single bolt of energy from his wand. Ron and Neville look on in awe as Campeones around didn't _dare_ challenge him. Before long, the skies over London were clear.

To the north, Dean and Seamus joined with Draco and Cormac as they circled over the wreckage of the airship, killing Campeones trying to flee.

Offshore, Jorge Castillo dove for deck, fleeing from Goyle. Sensing defeat, Castillo banked sharply backwards and knocked Goyle off his broom and into the waters of the English Channel. Oliver Wood spotted him and dove quickly to save him.

As he leveled off and thought he was safe, Castillo brushed the hair from his eyes and hovered near the edge of the White Cliffs of Dover. His brief laughter quickly turned to horror as he spotted none other than Victor Krum glaring at him with an evil grin.

"Cahhhh...steeeee...yo," Victor hissed.

Castillo could only scream a little girlish scream before taking off at full speed towards London with Krum in hot pursuit. He even resorted to ducking behind other Campeones as cover while Krum gladly killed every one of them. With Krum closing in, Castillo headed for the tower of London, circled around it quickly and performed a barrel roll to get behind Krum. Krum simply laughed as Castillo tried desperately to get a bead on him. Banking sharply left at a speed that would make _most_ wizards fall off their broom, Krum looked over his shoulder as Castillo performed a yoyo maneuver to get behind him again. Smiling, Krum headed for Smitty's Valley where the airship crashed. He swiftly dove over the edge of a cliff and brought his broom to a gut-wrenching stop. Krum was almost disappointed when Castillo flew directly over him and presented too easy of a target. Krum dispatched him with a killing curse and watched in disappointment as he fell to earth, his body shattering against the hull of the airship.

Harry spotted Bartolo as he shot down one of the gold team wizards in order to obtain a broom. Ron fired at him but his bolt merely bounced off. Harry waved everyone off as he gave chase. Before he could clear the canyon wall, Bartolo felt the full impact of Harry's _expelliarmus_ spell on his back and fell to earth.

**Chapter 46**** The Final Duel**

Bartolo quickly regained his composure as he stood up near the wreckage of the airship. Harry landed a few feet away and glared at him. Bartolo let loose a barrage of curses. Ron and the others ducked behind pieces of wreckage as Bartolo's wild curses were bouncing off Harry's shield charm and shooting down wizards left and right.

Harry held aloft the Elder Wand and smiled, daring him for another barrage with the wag of his finger. Bartolo was speechless as his eyes beheld the legendary weapon.

The two traded spells. Harry toyed with Bartolo, egging him on, urging him to try more elaborate means of cursing him. Bartolo was horrified to see that Harry was also talented enough to fire off curses and shield himself at the same time and resorted to apparating and disapparating in and around Harry to fire off shot after shot. Upon his apparating one final time, Bartolo was horrified to see that Harry had disappeared from view.

From under the Invisibility cloak, Harry fired off a _sectumsempra_ spell that ripped through Bartolo's robe and left a deep gash on the front of left thigh. A few _expelliarmus_ spells later, Bartolo was screaming in pain and lost his wand as Harry's spells mercilessly bounced his body repeatedly against rocks and cliff faces and pieces of wreckage.

"Joo are too late, miho," Bartolo gasped and clutched his left leg. "We…we will all be dead soon. My…my revenge is complete."

"Wrong," Harry corrected him. "You used the wrong spell, Don Bartolo."

"You…you LIE!" Bartolo screamed.

"Thanks to you… _Orchidaeceae Mortiferam_ has been erased from existence," Harry explained. "Forever."

"No," Bartolo whimpered as he looked past Harry. "NOoooooooooooooo!"

Harry glanced behind and welcomed the sight of Cornelius Fudge, Hermione and other Ministry wizards marching towards them along with a company of Dementors.

"It's over," Harry simply said.

"NOoooooooooooooooo!" Bartolo screamed as Dementors surrounded him. "CORNELIUS FUDGE...joo MURDERER! Nooooooooooooooooo!"

Harry turned around to face the approaching entourage and looked at Cornelius Fudge with a puzzled look before taking off on him broom to find Ron. Harry searched the skies and finally the wreckage and found Ron with the rest of his cohorts. Seamus was consoling a distraught Draco who was cradling Buster's battered corpse. Dean and Neville looked on mournfully as Cormac helped Draco to lift Buster's lifeless body off the floor. Harry smiled a brief smile at Ron who returned his smile with a puzzled look.

Hermione walked across the grassy plain with her brown locks billowing in the breeze, the cold wind making her shiver. The smoldering wreckage of the airship cast an amber hue over the skies as sunset approached. Tears began to well in her eyes at the sight of the seven heroes walking down a distant hill through the fog. She quickened her pace. Ron finally spotted her and looked over at Harry with a smile. Hermione finally spotted Ron's red hair gleaming in the setting sun and sobbed uncontrollably as she began to run across the plain. It may as well have been a whole mile's distance for Ron as he was close to passing out from exhaustion. Hermione leapt into his arms and wrapped her legs around him as he spun her around and fell to the ground with her on top of him.

Ron held her as if he was never going to let go and felt her squeeze harder and whimper in protest as he gently pushed her away and reached for the inside pocket of his robe and took out a 1 carat engagement on a gold celtic knot wedding band.

"Marry me, Hermione," Ron sobbed. "And I swear we'll leave the cares of the world behind us…_forever_."

"_Forever_," Hermione echoed and sobbed with him as he slipped the ring on her finger.

Harry looked on and smiled as the setting sun framed the silhouette of a most deserving couple.


	8. Chapter 47, 48 & 49

**Chapter 47 ****The Aftermath**

Michael and Zacharias stood on the banks of Dover and spotted Oliver Wood struggling with Goyle's body. They quickly mounted their brooms and dove in. Wood was forced to use the bubblehead charm to save Goyle from drowning. Unfortunately, his large frame coupled with the fact that they were fully clothed made it impossible to stay afloat. The _ascendio_ spell only managed to lift them a brief two feet above the water before ducking back under the waves.

"Need a hand, Wood?" Michael offered as he hovered nearby.

Coughing and gagging, Wood grabbed Michael's hand as Zacharias reached under the water to pull on Goyle's shirt collar. Upon reaching the shore, they finally revived him.

"Wha-what happened?" Goyle mumbled.

"You went for a _swim_, mate," Zacharias answered. "You almost drowned Oliver in the process."

"Where is everyone?" Goyle asked.

"The airship crashed over in Smitty's Valley," Wood answered. "I suspect the party's over there."

"Crashed?" Goyle asked even more puzzled. "How?"

Michael and Zacharias eyed each other carefully and chose not to answer.

"Let's just head over there," Zacharias answered as he handed Goyle one of the brooms that now littered the shores of Dover.

Perhaps they should have taken Goyle to the nearest wizard hospital. The trauma of seeing Buster's battered remains was too much to bear. Nine years since the untimely death of his close friend Vincent Crabbe and here he was again, reliving that horror. And once again, he was unable to say goodbye. It was little comfort hearing everyone sing Buster's praises as the one who sacrificed whatever life he had left to take Bartolo down. But perhaps it was a small comfort to know that he also gave his life to save the only friend Goyle had left in the world in Draco.

Hermione was emotionally spent as well as she laid her head to rest on Ron's shoulder. She had done her final duty for the Ministry as far as she was concerned. Whatever the future held in store for her, she had no intention of ever leaving the man she loved. Ron was equally spent and couldn't help rubbing it in Victor Krum's face as he came by to greet _Hermaninny. _Ron took pleasure in taking Hermione's hand and flashing the engagement ring at him.

"I hate him," Ron muttered as Victor walked away. "Let's have our wedding and _then _tell him his invitation must've gotten lost in the mail."

"Oh, Ron," Hermione chuckled and held him even tighter. "Don't be such a…Ron."

Seeing Harry walking past, Ron tried to free himself from her grip only to feel her gripping his around his waist tighter than ever and whimpering.

"I-I've got to talk to Harry for a moment, love," he whispered. "Ok? Hermione?"

It took quite a bit of strength to finally urge her arms off from his waist so he could make her look at him. Instead he found himself even more confused. She merely threw her arms around his neck and held fast again. This time she was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Wha…?" Ron decided he could talk to Harry another time. "What _is _it, love?"

"Congratulations," Draco offered as he walked up to them. His face was drawn and devoid of color.

Hermione eased her grip and turned to face him.

"Thank you, Draco," Hermione sobbed.

"Wait, Draco," said Ron as Draco turned to walk away. "Please…come to our wedding. I know your wedding to Pansy wasn't the happiest occasion, surrounded by throngs of well-wishers and all. Maybe we can make up for it. Bring…bring a few friends."

"_That _won't crowd the house," Draco said as he looked over at a distraught Goyle sobbing in the distance with Michael and Zacharias.

"Well then bring a few of your _goons_ if it'll make ya feel better, eh?" Ron joked.

Draco managed a slight smile and glanced at Hermione who returned his gaze with a somber face. If Ron had not known any better he could swear she was shaking her head "no".

"Pansy and I would be delighted," Draco answered.

If Hermione shaking her head "no" wasn't confusing enough, seeing Draco answer _'Pansy and I would be delighted'_ with a deflated smile had Ron _completely_ befuddled. Whatever was bothering Hermione…Draco knew and he_ didn't._

**Chapter 48 ****Arrival at Azkaban**

Harry flew his broom in silence next to Fudge's all the way to Azkaban as a whole host of Dementors and elite Aurors surrounded Don Bartolo. Questions swarmed around inside his head and he hoped he would get most of them answered upon their arrival.

Dozens of guards were patrolling the grounds as they finally landed. Even more were patrolling the skies over the surrounding hills. When they finally entered the dark halls, Don Bartolo was strip-searched and his clothes were searched as well. All they found was a locket.

Upon finishing their search, a prison official handed Bartolo a prison robe, a blanket and a pillow and ordered the Dementors to escort him to his cell. Bartolo's panicked expression was evident as he looked at the locket and pleaded with Fudge.

"Señor Fudge? Please! Noooo!" he screamed as the Dementors lifted him off the floor and glided down the hall. "Por favor, have_ mercy_, señor Fudge! _Nooooooooooooooooo!_ Mercy, Señor Fudge!!!!"

Harry couldn't help but notice the look of remorse on Fudge's face as the Dementors carried Don Bartolo out of sight. It was even more apparent when Fudge was obviously trying to choke back tears and clamped his hands over his ears and sat down in a chair. Harry walked to the table and took the locket in his hands. He could sense a fleeting aura of magic about it and finally worked up enough courage to pry it open.

The glowing figure of a beautiful dark-haired lady in a purple evening gown appeared.

"Shall we dance, my love?" she asked.

Aurors gathered around as Harry approached the apparition. Fudge broke down and cried and simply nodded to Harry. Not knowing what else to do, Harry took the lady by the waist with his right arm and clasped her outstretched hand with his left hand. All present were mesmerized as an unseen orchestra played _Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini_ and Harry began to waltz with the apparition. Her eyes were the prettiest shade of green he had ever seen and her skin milky white. Who was she? What did she mean to Fudge? Why did he feel as if he could dance forever?

The apparition danced with Harry around the room. Aurors politely stepped away as Harry came by. It was only after Fudge recovered his strength that Harry finally stopped. Fudge closed the locket and wiped the tears from his eyes and left the building. Harry followed with locket in hand. There was no way he was going to let Fudge leave without an explanation.

"Mister Fudge," Harry called out as Fudge cleared the gate. "MINISTER Fudge! I'm _talking _to you!"

Fudge stopped momentarily before boarding the Ministry's flying Rolls Royce.

"Her name is…_was_ Carlotta Leon," he told Harry with his back to him. "She was an _Atlantean_ wizard. A rare breed…a rare _beauty_."

With that, Fudge climbed into the limousine and flew off.

"Hermione," Harry muttered to himself as he looked at the locket.

**Chapter 49**** A Hasty Departure**

Ernie McMillan searched frantically around the wreckage for Seamus. He finally spotted him talking with Draco, Michael and Zacharias and ran as fast as he could across the plain.

"Oi, Seamus," he said panting. "Trust me when I say this. Leave…NOW."

"What gives, mate?" Seamus asked.

"Interpol's_ Wizarding_ Branch is here for ye," McMillan explained.

Turning to Draco he added, "You too, Malfoy. _GO_!"

Michael spotted him first. Lucius was searching the wreckage along with several Interpol agents. The look on his face could melt a lead pipe.

"Your dad looks _pissed_, Draco," he told him.

"Back to _Buck's Row_, lads," Seamus offered as he pulled Draco behind a large piece of wreckage.

"Forget it, Seamus," McMillan warned. "Interpol's got the docks locked down."

"And the _canning_ factory?" Draco asked.

"They've taken over the 7th Avenue wharves," McMillan went on. "The Thames is swarming with more cops than every _doughnut_ shop in England at breakfast time. We…we're _finished_ lads."

Draco and Seamus eyed each other thoughtfully for a second. Neither of them had a viable option at the moment.

"_My_ place," Michael offered. "They'll never think to look for you there, eh?"

"Good luck to ye, lads," McMillan said. "And god speed."

They all thanked him and ran for an opening in the canyon wall with their brooms. Unfortunately several Interpol agents were now patrolling the sky above as they reached the opening on the other side.

"Bloody hell," Zacharias muttered and looked down at the raging river 80 feet below them. "We're going to have to swim for it, lads."

"Aye," Michael agreed. "Let's see if it's safe."

With that Michael unceremoniously grabbed Zacharias and jumped in with him. Instinctively, he clasped his hand over Zacharias' mouth to muffle his scream. A couple of bubblehead charms later and Zacharias was cursing at him under the water. Two more loud splashes signaled that their cohorts had now joined them. Lucky for them the _Lightning Mark 2_ brooms were fairly fast movers under the water.

"Uh oh," Ron muttered as he was too late in spotting Lucius Malfoy walking his direction.

Hermione hopped off his lap and sat on the rock next to him, ready to take whatever abuse Lucius had in store for them. To their surprise, Lucius' face was uncharacteristically friendly and his voice as gentle as a lamb.

"Good evening, Weasley, Granger," he started. "I was…_hoping _you might tell me the whereabouts of my son."

"To be perfectly_ blunt_, sir," Weasley started. "I don't believe your son is in any condition to face you. And even if he was, I don't believe he'd want to talk to you anyhow."

Lucius' downtrodden expression was new to them as well. He thought of the right words to say but couldn't quite get them past his lips. One moment his mouth was ready to utter a word or two and the next he was fumbling with his thoughts. And just as he was about to say something, Narcissa was at his side.

"Buster," she sobbed. "He…he saved…"

"I know, my dear," Lucius comforted her with a hug. "He was a brave lad."

Turning back to Ron and Hermione, Lucius concluded with a heartfelt plea, "When you see Draco, will you _please_ let him know that we're looking for him?"

"_If _I see Draco," Ron corrected. "I'll be sure to pass on the message. But that's a big _if, _Mr. Malfoy."

Lucius nodded politely and noticed Hermione's ring and hooked her arm with the head of his cane. He smiled before letting her arm go and looked forlorn once again as the conversation came to an end.

"Congratulations," he offered before turning to leave with Narcissa on his arm. "I wish you all the happiness in the world."

If Ron didn't know any better, he'd swear Lucius was about to burst into tears.

"Should we…" Hermione started.

"I dunno, love," Ron finished. "He _seems_ genuine."


	9. Chapter 50, 51, 52, 53 & 54

**Chapter 50 ****The Leaky Cauldron**

It was ten o'clock in the evening when Harry strolled into The Leaky Cauldron. Despite the questions still buzzing in his head, he chose to put off getting answers until the morning. As he plopped down on the nearest barstool and laid his head in his arms, he hoped for a quiet moment to himself. Unfortunately, the sight of Hannah Abbott in Neville's arms raised even _more_ questions. As if that wasn't enough, Luna sitting at a corner table and sharing a laugh with Dean had his head spinning.

"Harry!" Hannah beamed and she and Neville made their way to the other side of the bar opposite him. "_Anything _and _everything_ is on the house for you!"

"What can I get you, Harry?" Neville added.

"_Answers_ would be good, Neville," Harry answered with his voice cracking.

Noticing Harry was looking from him to Luna and back, Neville finally answered, "Oh _them_? Luna's been my partner in crime all this time. She's filling Dean in with all that's happened behind the scenes. It's a long story, actually. But the ending was rather nice and…"

"I'm _waiting_, Neville," Harry drawled, his head starting to spin.

"Well, it all started when Hermione was sent to Azkaban, see?" Neville started. "About four years ago you…"

"What?!" Harry squealed.

"There's a powerful _confundus_ charm still in place for you and Ron and most of the Weasley clan," Hannah explained. "It will remain in place until Hermione orders it removed. It was agent Vane's idea, really."

"_Agent_ Vane?" Harry asked, his head about to explode.

"She's a helluva good agent, Harry," Neville started. "If it wasn't for her…"

"Okay, shut up," Harry interrupted and slammed his face down. "And get me a double Southern Comfort and Cola with a lemon slice."

"Hold that order," said a voice behind them.

Harry turned and managed a sleepy smile at Ginny who had arrived with Cho, Lavender, Pansey and Eloise in tow.

"Hi, honey," Harry managed in a slurred voice.

"We'll take the center table, Hannah," Ginny announced. "And what are tonight's specials?"

"There's the _Astronaut's _breakfast of T-bone steak and eggs your way and your choice of two side dishes," Hannah answered.

"Rather fitting considering my _head _is in _orbit_ right now," Harry quipped.

"Dean!" Neville called out. "Let's close _early_ tonight! Private party for our friends, eh?"

"Sounds great, mate!" Dean answered and flipped the window sign to _'Closed'_ just as McLaggen and Goyle walked in.

A moment later, Romilda was knocking on the door.

"Oh, it's _you_," joked Dean. "What do you want?"

"May I come in?" she asked.

"Sorry, love," Dean answered with a silly grin. "Private party. Friends only."

Pulling out her wand and pointing in under his chin, Romilda _persuaded_ Dean to let her enter.

"Oh, come on in…_friend_," Dean giggled.

Seeking out Pansey, Romilda found her with Lavender and Eloise.

"Pansey, has Draco contacted you at all?" she asked.

"No, why?" Pansey answered.

"Listen," Romilda went on. "I've brokered a deal with Interpol and…_Lucius_. He can stop _running_ now."

"Lucius?" Pansey asked. "You brokered a deal with…"

"It's none of my business what happens between you," Romilda concluded. "But if you'd be good enough to get word to Draco, let him know that the law is no longer on his tail."

As she turned to leave, Eloise stopped her.

"Romilda, please," she asked. "Stay and have a drink or two with us? Maybe dinner? You _must _be hungry after a day like today."

"Yes, I'd like that," Romilda sighed. "Very much."

Pansey took a moment before trying to reach Draco on her _shell_ phone but couldn't get through. Spotting Goyle, she approached him and asked, "Greg, do you know where Draco is hiding out?"

"I've got a _fairly_ good idea," he answered.

"Would you mind fetching him?" she pleaded. "He ought to be here too."

"Not at all," Goyle answered. "C'mon, Cormac. Let's go fetch those idiots."

Cormac was busy looking at Eloise. She was certainly not the same girl he knew at Hogwarts. A little baby fat here and there maybe, but overall she looked rather pretty.

"Hello, Midgen," Cormac started. "You've lost a couple of…_hundred_ pounds, eh?"

"Why, yes," Eloise answered. "Gregory doesn't have to roll me in _dough_ anymore to find the _wet_ spot."

"What?" Cormac asked right before Eloise landed a hard slap that floored him.

Goyle couldn't help but laugh as he helped him back to his feet.

"I uh…_deserved_ that, didn't I?" Cormac said with a sheepish grin.

"Aye, you did," Goyle answered as they left to fetch Draco and the others.

**Chapter 51 ****Michael's Penthouse**

Michael finished setting the dishes on the table and rang a little bell. From the bedroom Draco dragged himself off a cot and made his way to the kitchen. Failing to see Zacharias passed out on the floor of the living room, Draco tripped over his body and landed face first onto the carpet. The thud woke Seamus who was passed out on a sofa nearby.

"Oi, I'm famished," Seamus yawned and got up.

"Come and _get_ it, lads," Michael announced.

"Why is Zacharias on the floor?" Draco asked.

"Because it's helping me straighten out my _back_ after that hard water landing," Zacharias yawned.

As they sat down, there was a knock at the door.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Who is it?" Michael called out.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"If it's the _Ministry_, knock one more time!" Seamus called out.

_Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"That's good enough for _me_!" Seamus yelped and ran to the guest bedroom with Draco close behind.

Not knowing what else to do, Zacharias simply lay back down on the floor of the living room as Michael answered the door. There stood Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"Well well," Michael answered. "It's the _mole_."

"This is _official_ business, Cormer," Fletchley answered as he flashed his Ministry badge. "We need to talk."

"So talk," Michael said, as he stood his ground in the doorway.

"May I come in?" Fletchley asked. "Or do I have to kick yer teeth out?"

"Ahem…I didn't hear that magic _word_, Fletchley," Michael joked as he cocked his ear towards him.

"Please?" Fletchley said sheepishly.

Michael let him in but upon trying to shut the door, felt resistance as yet another old acquaintance pushed his way in with his walking cane.

"Mister Malfoy?" Michael asked.

"Please," Lucius corrected him. "Call me Lucius."

Standing precariously on the catwalk outside the living room window, Seamus peered in.

"Oh buggers," he cursed. "It's your father."

Inside Fletchley took a look around Michael's place with disdain.

"All that dough from the Americans for returning the Hope Diamond and you live in this tiny shell of a penthouse?" Fletchley asked.

"I've only just moved in, Fletchley," Michael answered as he sat down to eat. "My house is being built in the _Dales_. Bloody termites forced me to abandon my _first_ mansion."

"Awww you poor dear," Fletchley teased as he looked at the table. "Live here alone, do ye?"

"Oh yes," Michael answered as he cut a slice of his steak. "Just me and my memories."

"I notice the table's set for _FOUR_," Fletchley pointed out.

"Yeah? And my alarm clock's set for _EIGHT_," Michael added. "That doesn't prove a _thing_."

"Oh, I see," Fletchley challenged. "You're going to be a _smartass_, are ye?"

"Well, it's preferable to being a _dumb_ass, eh?" Michael countered.

Spotting the bedroom door open a crack, Fletchley ran to it.

"Hey!" Michael called as he ran after him. "My bedroom's a wreck, mate!"

Fletchley flashed him a wry smile as he pointed to the main bed…plus three folding _cots_ that had been set up.

"Bedroom set for _FOUR_ as well, eh?" Fletchley teased.

"Well," Michael started. "See those three cots? Last time I was here I counted two hundred _sheep_ in my bed. So naturally I needed another place to sleep. You wouldn't want me to sleep with all the sheep now do you…?"

"Ahhhhh, shut yer pie hole!" Fletchley growled as walked to the living room. As Draco did before him, he tripped over Zacharias and landed face first into the carpet.

"What the bloody hell is Smith doing on the floor?!" Fletchley screamed.

"He's got insomnia," Michael answered. "He's trying to sleep it off."

Before he could come up with a witty response, Fletchley spotted Draco's face in the window.

"Lucius!" he called out. "The _window_!"

Lucius flung the living room window open and looked to his left to find his son.

"Draco! I…" he began only to see Draco fling himself off the catwalk. "Dracooooooooo!"

To his relief, he saw Draco riding with Goyle on his broom with Cormac on another. To his left he noticed Seamus standing in the exact same pose as the gargoyle statue next to him.

"Come off it, Finnegan," he called. "I've got Interpol off your back for now. You look _ridiculous_, by the way."

Lucius paused for a moment in the living room and then nodded politely to Michael before leaving.

"Look, Cormer," Fletchley explained. "Finnegan and Malfoy stole a rather famous gem the night you crashed the state dinner. If they at _least_ return the _Bellybutton of Parvati_, we'll let the others slide, okay?"

"I'll pass on the message," said Michael.

With that, Fletchley left and Seamus crawled back in through the window.

"Persistent buggers," Seamus commented. "How do ye suppose they found us?"

"Take off the bloomin' panties, Zach!" Michael yelled as his _shell_ phone vibrated.

"Yes?" Michael answered as Zacharias retreated to the bedroom to change underwear. "Leaky Cauldron? Sure, mate."

Turning to Seamus, Michael told him, "Everyone's at the Cauldron. They want us there too."

"Free drinks, I hope?" Seamus asked.

"Neville's treat," Michael answered. "Everyone involved in this mess is there, apparently."

Zacharias finished changing and handed the panties to Michael who tucked it away in an envelope addressed to the Ministry. Attaching it to his owl, he walked to the window and let it fly.

"Off ye go, Jeevsie," he said.

**Chapter 52 ****Hungry Heroes**

"Listen, Harry," Neville calmly explained. "I truly believe it would be best if _Hermione _explained it all to you."

Harry nodded. The pounding in his head was too much to bear. A pity Ginny had Neville pour him a glass of iced tea instead of something harder. A chorus of cheers erupted as Draco, Seamus, Michael, Zacharias, Cormac and Goyle finally arrived.

"Welcome, lads," Neville called. "Everything's on the house."

Zacharias' smile faded as Romilda approached. He quickly walked to the other side of the table to sit down only to have Romilda follow him. Getting back up out of his chair, he continued the little cat-and-mouse chase around and around the table.

"Aren't we a little long in the tooth for _Duck, Duck, Goose_?" Zacharias joked.

"Why are you running away from me?" Romilda said with a sly smile.

"You've been bad luck."

"_Good_ luck, I'd say."

"You bloody _used_ me!"

"And you'd be _dead_ if I _hadn't_."

"I don't _want_ to be used! I've been your _snuggly wuggly_ for months!"

"I don't recall you _complaining_!"

Having had enough, Harry stuck his foot out, making Zacharias trip.

"You two are making me dizzy," Harry groaned.

Romilda sprinted towards Zacharias and pinned him against a wall just as he got to his feet.

"Oh, come on, Romilda," Zacharias drawled. "I'm a man…I…I need to feel _loved_ too!"

"Oh, don't give me that _Vanity Fair_ crap," Romilda countered as she planted her mouth over his and squeezed his buttocks with both hands.

"That's right," Zacharias stated as she pulled her lips away and looked up at him. "No more bloody g-strings."

"Don't need 'em to enjoy the feel of those tight buns of yours, Zacky," Romilda breathed.

The smell of steaks filled the air as Hannah, Dean, Cho and Lavender brought out the food in carts.

"Oh, thank heavens," Seamus groaned. "I'm _starving_!"

Everyone found a spot at the grand table but Harry chose to remain at the bar with his thoughts. Ginny tried to coax him over.

"Please, love," she whispered. "Join the rest of us."

"I've got a million questions in my head now, Ginny," Harry complained. "I fear we have an awful _reality_ to face once Hermione lifts this confundus charm."

Ginny looked away for a moment and then back at him, hoping he didn't catch the look he always found too easy to read.

"Oh for pity's sake, Ginny," Harry said as he lay his forehead on his forearm. "Not you too!"

"She…she lifted the remaining charm from our family days ago, love," Ginny explained as she rubbed his back and began to sob. "It…it's _awful_. Simply _awful_."

Harry turned to her quickly. Whatever it was, he wished he could know now and be better suited to comfort her.

"Okay, okay," Harry whispered and hugged her. "Tell me later, ok?"

With a nod and a kiss, Ginny coaxed Harry from his perch and to a pair of empty seats near the head of the table with Neville. Just then, Ron and Hermione strolled in.

"Oh, good of you grace us with your presence," Dean joked. "Where ya been, mate?"

"Oh we…were at a briefing with the Ministry," Ron lied. Hermione's flushed cheeks and mildly disheveled hair were hard to miss.

As they found themselves a seat across from Harry and Ginny, Neville was busy going around the table pouring champagne for everyone. When he had finished, he took his place at the head of the table. Ginny spotted the ring first.

"Oh Hermione," Ginny beamed. "Are you…?"

"Three months everybody!" Ron bellowed as the girls all gathered around Hermione to see her ring. "Hermione and I will consider it a grievous _insult_ if anyone present in this room is _not_ at our wedding in three months!"

"A toast," Neville announced as everyone raised their glasses. "A toast to the future bride and groom."

A chorus of cheers erupted.

And a toast to today's triumph…and _tragedy_…and tomorrow's dreams," Neville continued. "May they be less _complicated_."

A chorus of _'Here here_'s rang out and Neville added, "And…to _**Buster Crabbe**_. May the story of his sacrifice live on in the hearts and minds of wizards everywhere."

The remainder of dinner passed without incident and as the evening wore on, friends both old and new eventually parted company.

**Chapter 53 ****Of Loot and Dreams**

Rather than letting them risk running into Lucius again, Hannah was kind enough to let Draco share a large suite for the evening with Seamus, Michael, Zacharias, Cormac and Goyle.

"The pipes are reversed in this suite, so be sure to turn it to _cold_ if you want _hot_ water," Hannah warned as she pushed a cart of fresh pillows and pillow cases in.

"Thank you for everything, Hannah," said Draco as the boys sat around a large coffee table in the living room. Upon Hannah leaving, they proceeded to free the loot from the robes they'd been wearing for days. Needless to say, there was not much sleep to be had as the boys compared loot taken during their perilous adventure.

"Bloody good _emeralds_," Draco commented as he looked at Zacharias' stolen emeralds through his monocle. "Aragon knew where to find the best."

"Where do ye plan on _fencing_ this loot?" Michael asked as he sipped a beer.

"McMillan has a buyer," said Cormac while admiring a string of pearls and a sapphire brooch. "A heavy hitter from America named _Langdon Matlock_. The bloke had the weirdest accent."

"Well, where's he from?" Draco asked.

"South Carolina, I believe," Cormac answered.

"Oh, that explains it," Draco said. "They _all_ talk weird down there."

"Ya know, I don't really mind handin' over the _Bellybutton of Parvati_," Seamus said as he eyed an ornate diamond necklace. "This lovely should fetch a handsome price."

"Yeah and this ain't exactly the _Star of Africa_," said Zacharias as he inspected the diamond Draco stole. "But it's a bloody _big_ diamond, mate!"

"Goodbye, mob life," Seamus said as he patted Draco on the back. "Hello _good_ life, eh?"

"Aye," Draco said as he looked towards the window.

"I'm guessin' ye won't get any inheritance from yer dad, eh?" Seamus probed.

"Who needs 'im?" Draco said and took a swig of his beer. "I…I've got all I need, eh?"

The forlorn look on his face gave him away as everyone hung their heads and waited for him to say something.

"With all this I can start over again," Draco said, his voice cracking. "A new life. A _good_ life. My own home…wife and child to love and care for…and that's all that matters, right?"

"Aye," Seamus agreed, his face equally forlorn. "A fine house by the cliffs on the coast…a quiet little farm in the valley below…quiet walks along the beach…and maybe someday…a bonnie lass to share it with."

The lads found themselves taking turns revealing their hopes for the future. The last thing they expected to be doing among present company.

"I fancy the highlands, meself," Cormac started. "A modest sized miniature castle high in the hills. Enjoying the emerald hue at sunrise. Sippin' coffee every mornin' with me true love. Maybe I'll buy one of those loud, obnoxious American motorcycles and the two of us can cruise the coast once in a while."

"My mansion's being built in the Dales," Michael started. "After all this I think I'll just go…live the quiet life for a while. Take up gardening."

"Oh yeah?" Zacharias asked. "I was thinking of that myself. Neville mentioned he'd like to build a greenhouse lab large enough to continue his extensive study in botany and herbology. Maybe we can let him grow some of his weird stuff there. It's a nice quiet ride to Hogwarts from the Dales. Would ya mind having me as a neighbor?"

"Not at all," Michael answered.

"Hey, Goyle," Zacharias called and slid one of his emeralds across the table at him. The others followed suit and gave up a trinket to him. "Didn't think we'd leave you out, did ya? What do you think, mate?"

"I think," Goyle started as he choked back tears. "I'll give a little to the Moody Center for the promotion of DADA. Maybe I'll hone my skills there and start a security firm. You never know what evil is lurking around the corner."

Draco raised his beer bottle and toasted them all, "To _all_ our hopes and dreams, lads."

**Chapter 54 ****Revelation**

All was quiet at Grimmauld Place as Ginny waited until everyone else was asleep. She could no longer bear to keep the past from Harry.

"He was an agent of Phineas Lovejoy, Harry," Ginny began as she sat on a chair next to Harry who was lying on the sofa with an icepack to his head. "The Ministry released Lovejoy in a vain attempt to try and tail him to Jack _and _Don Bartolo. He was too savvy. The true memory of your first case was replaced by the Ministry. They said it was for the best. Bastards. They were impressed with your skills as a freelance sleuth and auror. You've helped nab some of their most wanted suspects over the years. They simply didn't want to see _talent_ go to waste, is all.

Bodies of young women were found in and around Whitechapel and a couple in Hyde Park. Some of the earliest victims were mutilated. It was awful. Their bellies had been torn open. At first vital organs were also removed and placed around the victims' heads. Contents of their purses were placed neatly in rows next to the bodies leading many to believe a copycat _Jack the Ripper _was on the loose. But the common denominator among all the victims was that they were all _pregnant_…and they were all _magic_ folk."

Harry sat up straight and listened intently.

"There was a senior agent named Elizabeth Stride," Ginny continued. "She was Romilda's Ministry preceptor. She was killed when they raided a home they believed to be a dwelling of Jack's. A bomb rigged to a motion detector went off as Elizabeth entered. Romilda was distraught. But she was hot on his trail and Hermione was determined to help bring this monster to justice. You and Ron had your team patrolling the skies over London that night. The Ministry had plainclothes agents on the ground _everywhere._ Lavender and I were on the other side of the Thames from you. Magical folk were told to stay home. All travel by magical means was suspended. Any magical folk caught outside past ten o'clock were arrested on the spot. And there were too many damned fool magic folk around to get a fix on anything noteworthy."

Ginny took a deep breath and tried not to sob as she continued, "Romilda and Hermione heard the screams of a muggle girl in Hyde Park. It was ruse. Jack was merely using the muggle for bait. He was powerful. He cast a bubble charm-like spell over Hyde Park that rendered the area soundproof. Romilda's frantic calls for assistance were futile. She was horrified when Jack looked at Hermione and made her belly glow with his wand. She was three months pregnant, Harry. She never told anyone. Not even Ron. They..they were to be married the following week."

After composing herself, she wiped her tears and continued on, "You two spotted them and had everyone close in on Hyde Park. But Lovejoy was lurking in the shadows. He helped Jack cast a powerful shield charm over Hyde Park. We couldn't get past it. Lavender and I were knocked from our brooms onto a nearby roof. You both fell to the ground and…and Jack hit Hermione with a sectumsempra spell…tore her belly open…took her _unborn child_…oh god, Harry. You tried desperately to break the shield charm. From out of nowhere, this delta shaped craft landed. Lovejoy and Jack boarded and were gone. The healers went to work on Hermione as fast as they could."

Ginny paused and put her fingers to her temples. "Her screams…I can _still_ hear her screams. And it wasn't from the pain. Fudge tried a confundus charm on her. She blocked it…and sent him flying backwards with an expelliarmus spell so powerful he flew all the way to the Thames. Even Ron couldn't reach her. He tried to comfort her but she shoved him away…and disapparated."

"Disapparated?" Harry asked. "To where?"

"She and Romilda _both _apparated to one of the Ministry's western outposts," she continued. "Using a map, and listening to muggle military broadcasts about sightings of the craft, they deduced that it was heading for the magical island nation of _Iscandia_."

"There's no _extradition_ treaty with Iscandia," Harry muttered. "It's supposedly one of the last remnants of the Atlantean civilization. The wizards there are…_reclusive_ to say the least."

"A movement there started a decade ago to reclaim their lost powers," Ginny went on. "The jewel that once adorned the _Necromancer_ Wand was a piece of a much larger jewel that had been stolen from them by antediluvian muggles. The _Hope Diamond_ shared a magical property about it that almost _equaled_ its power. That's why Lovejoy stole it."

"For what _purpose_, love?" Harry asked.

"To help free the souls of Atlanteans trapped in mortal bodies," Ginny answered. "They were originally _energy_ beings upon their arrival here from a dying world. Transforming themselves into energy beings allowed them to save their entire civilization. They even saved creatures from their planet they might find useful. It allowed them to traverse the vast expanse of space to find a suitable home. Unfortunately they found ours. Over the ages, Atlanteans would possess the bodies of muggles. The creatures they brought with them became the stuff of muggle and magical legend. Dragons, unicorns, centaurs, thestrals, trolls, elves and many others. The allure of possessing a physical body was too powerful. To be able to touch…caress…feel the warmth and _reality_ of a physical body after eons spent as mere energy…but it came with a price. A price many of them were willing to pay. After so much time spent in mortal form…they could no longer leave their physical bodies. But generations born of them produced beings with powers."

"Are we…," Harry asked. "Descended from them?"

"Yes," Ginny answered. "But as we are in reality muggles with magical powers…there are still Atlanteans on Iscandia who would have many magic folk believe our ultimate goal is to return to our energy form and be _pure_ again. Lovejoy needed the magical energy within unborn magic fetuses for a forbidden spell of _rebirth_. But Hermione caught up to Jack before he could make a final delivery of the required number of magical fetuses necessary for the spell. She caught up to him in the middle of a crowded Atlantean square…and murdered him in full view of hundreds of witnesses."

Harry was speechless.

"Fudge's group caught up to Bartolo in Spain trying to round up more magical fetuses," Ginny went on. "Carlotta Leon was suffering from a terminal disease. That was Bartolo's motivation all along. To free her from her diseased body. Her illness was discovered shortly before they were married. Time was running out when the Ministry raided his stronghold. Fudge and his squad managed to reach his inner sanctum where he planned to _return _many of his followers to their _true _form. It was an errant killing curse from Fudge that killed Carlotta. He was aiming for Bartolo. He could have…he could have simply subdued Bartolo and brought him to justice. But the death of many of his agents clouded his judgment. He was distraught as well. He had killed an innocent. Witnesses say he even tried to help Bartolo complete the spell to right his wrong. But it was too late. The killing curse extinguishes the _life_force energy in all beings. Without that _energy_…there is no coming back. Some say Fudge _allowed_ him to escape out of _guilt_."

"I understand him now," Harry nodded.

"Hermione returned home weeks later," Ginny continued. "She was in a daze. Our families knew nothing of what transpired and went through with the wedding plans. The Ministry arrested her just as she was about to take her vows. Rather than disgrace Ron for having him married to a soon-to-be convicted murderer…she left him standing at the altar."

Harry closed his eyes buried his face in his hands.

"The trial was kept secret," Ginny continued. "Our families and those of others involved in the case were the only people allowed into the courthouse. The Iscandians were disgusted to discover that Bartolo's scheme involved the wholesale slaughter of innocents. They dropped all charges against Hermione and even put a bounty on Don Bartolo's head. But they also closed airspace over Iscandia to foreign travelers and all visits to the nation were limited to family members of Iscandian nationals."

Ginny took a sip of water before continuing, "The Ministry placed Dolores Umbridge in charge of Hermione's defense. She was the most well-versed in Magical law. But it worked to her disadvantage. She searched frantically for _any_ precedent she could use to absolve Hermione. But she found none. The _insanity_ plea was their last resort but it could not stand up in court. The law was clear with regards to Hermione's _intent_. They sentenced her to _life_ in prison at Azkaban."

Harry was floored. His heart sank and he craved a stiff drink.

"You flew into a rage," Ginny revealed. "You blamed Umbridge. You called her a _fat bitch _in front of everyone. And then you…socked her in the nose. It earned you a year in Azkaban, Harry. At Hermione's request, Fudge placed a powerful confundus charm on our families. But Hermione wanted to confund Ron herself. So that no one else can force him to remember. Fudge granted her that out of guilt, I believe.

Ron and Hermione only had time for a brief kiss before the Dementors carted her off. It would have destroyed Ron. I see that now. I was so angry at her when the charm was lifted. I'd lost you for a whole year, love. And Ron…"

"Did you and Hermione talk?" Harry asked as he brushed a lock of hair away from her face.

"Yes, we did," Ginny answered. "I had the unenviable task of briefing the whole Weasley clan."

"What _else_ don't I know?" Harry asked.

"Romilda vowed she would get Hermione out," Ginny continued. "She kept tabs on you both for three years. She even made an agreement with Lavender to help keep Ron busy and the girls away."

Ginny managed a slight chuckle, "Hermione was furious when Romilda told her she arranged it so that Susan Bones caught them in bed together. Susan was getting too _close_, you see. And I didn't like her. Even when I had no recollection of Hermione, I didn't like her. Romilda brought Lavender along for help. Ron was reluctant to hire Lavender into the business. But Romilda suggested a trial run since she had contacts within Finnegan's troublesome Brigade. And the case you two were working on at the time involved Finnegan's kidnapping of a harbormaster. Lavender spent weeks wearing high-heeled shoes and tight skirts and blouses with plunging necklines. She poured on the sex appeal. And when Ron had the audacity to reach up her skirt one day…it was easy to keep her around and help keep tabs on him. Ron liked to be _teased_ for a while. But Lavender was finding it more and more difficult to find ways to keep him from eventually wanting sex. Romilda assured Hermione that she and Lavender only slept with him once…_together._"

"Oh, _that _must have gone over well with Hermione," Harry chuckled.

"Point of fact, it _didn't_," Ginny laughed. "But Romilda finally received a tip from Luna that Jack's _bungalow_ was on an island in Iscandian waters. She discovered its whereabouts when she went to Iscandia on assignment for the _Quibbler._ Her father, Xeno had connections in Iscandia which allowed the story to be covered. But Romilda had to break the law to get to that bungalow and find Bartolo's doomsday plan. Everything she needed for leverage to free Hermione was there. Articles on Neville's discovery of the death orchid…the schematics of the airship…but most of all, what appeared to be an entry in Jack's diary that he had reason to believe that Bartolo had no intention of simply ridding the world of muggles…he meant to kill _everyone_. Bartolo could never get over the death of Carlotta. "

"I almost feel sorry for him," Harry said as he looked away. "No…I _do _feel sorry for him."

"Anyway, Fudge secured Hermione's release," Ginny concluded. "And along with Neville, Luna, Romilda and Lavender, came up with a plan to bring Bartolo down. A few weeks later…she strolled into your office."

"And the rest is history," Harry yawned and Ginny nudged him over so she can climb onto the couch with him. Ginny needn't say another word. For them, what mattered was here and now. Too tired to walk to the bedroom, they fell asleep on the couch together.


	10. The End

Chapter 55 _**A week later…fencing the Loot**_

It was some time in the afternoon when Ernie McMillan was finally contacted by _Langdon Matlock._ He had sent a rather large oak wardrobe that was now sitting in Michael's foyer. As the boys finished lunch in Michael's new home in the Dales, they eagerly gathered around Ernie as his contact spoke to him on the phone.

"Yes sir, Mister Matlock," Ernie answered. "We've got the goods and are ready to do business. _Draco Malfoy_? Yes, he's here, sir."

Ernie handed the phone to Draco.

"What?" Draco asked.

"He wants to speak with you _personally_," Ernie answered.

"This is Draco Malfoy, Mister Matlock," Draco began.

"Ah swear it is an absolute pleasure doin' bidness with ya, Mister Malfoy," Matlock answered. "Ah am lookin' forward to taking that treasure off yo' hands and rewardin' y'all handsomely."

"How do we proceed, Mister Matlock?" Draco asked.

"Well suh, did ya'll receive the large _chiffero_ I sent ya'll?" Matlock explained. "Ya'll just need ta put in the loot one package at a time accordin' ta how ya'll wanna divide up the spoils, son."

Placing the phone to his chest, Draco looked over at Seamus and asked, "What the bloody hell is a _chiffero_?"

"The _wardrobe_ he sent," McMillan answered.

The boys all gathered around it as Draco concluded his conversation with Matlock.

"We'll get right on it, Mister Matlock," Draco said.

"Thank you, suh," Matlock concluded.

Zacharias went first. He took a deep breath, placed his emeralds in a chest and placed it inside the…_chiffero_. After closing the twin doors, there was a flash of light inside.

"Okay, _now_ what?" Zacharias asked.

"Open it, mate," Seamus suggested.

Upon opening it, Zacharias found a larger chest. He opened it and was pleasantly surprised to see it overflowing with gold coins.

Upon inspection, Zacharias and the boys saw that it was overflowing with older sovereigns, shillings and pounds.

"It'll take all _day_ to count this," Goyle muttered.

"How much do you think is _in _here?" Seamus wondered.

Without warning the chest _itself_ spoke in a booming voice, "Two million, six hundred and twenty thousand pounds, you _dolt_!"

As the boys recovered from the shock, the chest spoke again, "Now put the _next_ bloody chest in and get _on_ with it!"

All told, the boys had amassed a collective fortune of well over twenty million pounds. When the phone rang one last time, Draco answered.

"Ah do declare, Ah never seen a finer collection of _stolen_ loot, suh," Matlock stated.

"Thank you, Mister Matlock," Draco answered back.

"Pleasure doin' business with ya, mate," Matlock concluded.

"And with _you, _Mister Matlock," Draco concluded.

No sooner had he hung up that Draco stopped in his tracks.

"_Mate_?" Draco thought to himself. Was this man American or not?

Chapter 56 _**Three Months Later…The Wedding**_

Hermione checked her look in the mirror over and over again. Her veil was becoming increasingly wrinkled with her repeated lifting. Maybe choosing to have a late morning wedding was a bad idea. For the past couple of weeks she had been fighting the urge to vomit. She gave into the urge twice in the past four days. The nausea creeping its way into her throat was heightening her stress level on a stratospheric scale.

"Hermione," Ginny groaned as she too lifted her veil for the umpteenth time. "Please consider a calming draught. You're making me _loopy_."

"I can't help it," Hermione sighed. "I'm about to be married."

"Well so am I," Ginny reminded her. "I only wish you would have lifted the charm off Ron a long time ago."

"I'm sorry," Hermione cried.

"No no no no," Ginny reassured her. "Let's just…get through this day, okay?"

In an antechamber of the church, a nervous Harry fumbled with Ron's bowtie.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Ron asked.

"No, I'm not alright!" Harry fumed. "I could take on dark wizards all day but I'm having trouble with a bloody bowtie!"

Just then the two of them could swear they heard a loud crack, a scream and crashing sound.

"I'd _investigate_ if I didn't fear running into the girls," Ron said. "It's bad luck."

Lucky for them, Dean burst in.

"No worries, lads," he said. "Hagrid sat down on a pew, Flitwick was on the other side, it broke and Flitwick hit one of the chandeliers."

"Didn't I tell you to seat him on one of the_ stone_ pews?" Harry asked.

"We _did_," Dean replied.

Harry and Ron shared a laugh. Hopefully it was enough to get them through the next couple of hours.

"You're not still upset about the _bachelor _party, are ye, mate?" Harry giggled.

"Well, it _was_ a little hard watching _Susan Bones_ among that bevy of beauties coming out of the cake, Harry," Ron laughed. "I'm not at _all_ shocked that she wound up as _Cormac'_s date today."

In one of the rear pews, Pansy Parkinson sat with two month old baby Scorpius in an infant carrier. The precious child might actually remain quiet throughout the whole ceremony if only Cho, Lavender, Romilda, Luna, Eloise and Hannah would tone down the _gaga_s andgiggles. Even Fleur and Gabrielle joined in, making for a rather noisy scene at the back of the church.

Seamus and Goyle found Draco wetting a washcloth at a fountain and patting his forehead with it.

"You alright, mate?" Seamus asked.

"You look _peaked,_" Goyle added.

"Two months of sleepless nights is a bit hard," Draco explained. "This wedding and all the preceding social events were actually a welcome _break_ in my routine."

"How's yer new home near York?" Seamus asked.

"Lovely," Draco answered. "How's that little villa by the sea?"

"You and the missus will have to visit some time," Seamus offered. "The private stretch of beach is wonderful for picnics."

"I may take you up on that in the spring," Draco sighed. "I _need_ air these days."

Neville and Hannah were putting the finishing touches on the Tibetan musical orchids.

"What tunes did you teach them, Neville?" Hannah asked.

"_Canon in D_ for starters," Neville answered. "Then the _Wedding March_. I picked out a special tune for the first dance."

Michael and Zacharias eyed the girls as they stood in a quiet corner together.

"Do you think you'll ever…"Michael began.

"I dunno, mate," Zacharias answered. "It'd have to be a special girl, ya know?"

"At least Cormac won't be in _Lavender's_ hair tonight," Michael sighed.

"Yeah, Susan's lookin' _hot_ these days," Zacharias sighed. "Did you get a load of her _cocoanuts_ at the bachelor party? I mean they were out to…"

"Yeah yeah yeah," Michael interrupted. "I was _there_, remember?!"

"I've got a lovely bunch of _cocoanuts_," Zacharias teased. "There they are standing in a row…_big_ ones, _small_ ones, _some_ as big as your _head_…

"Alright, already!" Michael hissed.

"Give 'em a _twist_, a flick of the _wrist_, that's _what_ the showman _said_," Zacharias finished.

The Tibetan musical orchids began to play _Canon in D_ with the sound of a full-fledged Philharmonic orchestra. Everyone present sat as Harry and Ron took their places by the altar. Teddy Lupin looked dapper yet uncomfortable in his black tux and tails with a crushed velvet purple vest as he marched up the aisle with the rings. Victoire turned on the charm as she spread the flowers on the floor on the way to the altar.

Her smile was every bit as captivating as her mother Fleur's and she waved to everyone as she walked by.

Either out of impatience or jealousy, Teddy looked over his shoulder at her, walked back down the aisle and took her hand as she waved. He hurried her up to the altar to the sound of laughter.

As if that wasn't cute enough, she turned and waved to everyone when she reached the altar. Teddy slapped her hand down but Victoire gave him the raspberry, resulting in even _more_ laughter.

Finally, the _Wedding March_ started and all present rose to their feet.

Arthur marched Ginny down the aisle first, pausing every now and then to wipe a tear from his eye. Behind them, Hermione's father, George was equally teary-eyed.

Molly sat in the front pew with Hermione's mother Gracie. Unlike their male counterparts, they were both smiles. But under the veil, Hermione was close to falling to pieces as Ron took her hand in his.

"Dearly beloved," the minister began. "We are gathered together today to join these two lovely couples in the bonds of holy matrimony."

As the minister's voice trailed off in her mind, Hermione looked out onto the crowd and searched for an answer. Her eyes met Draco who seemed to shake his head _'no'_ in slow-motion. Her respirations quickened as Harry and Ginny exchanged _'I do'_s. As Ron finally said _'I do'_, all eyes and ears were on Hermione finally looked at Ron as tears began to well up in her eyes.

Letting go of his hand, she lifted her veil and looked up at him.

"I love you," she sobbed. "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I want that _too_, love," Ron answered back, as confused as ever.

Removing her wand from inside her sleeve, she waved it from left to right in front of him, and hoped for the best as her tears ran freely.

The memories came back like a rush of wind inside Ron's head. When he finally took it all in, he was in a daze. Hermione joined him as he fell to his knees. Ron's breath came in irregular sobs, his thoughts a turmoil. When he finally rose to his feet, he was no longer looking at Hermione but at the crowd around them.

"Will everyone excuse me for a moment?" he announced and left the altar.

Hermione remained on her knees sobbing as Ginny came to her side. Molly and Gracie never hesitated. They too rushed to the altar to support the bride. Murmurs of protest began to echo throughout the church but it was _Draco_'s voice that rose above the rest.

"Weasley!" Draco bellowed as made his way up the aisle towards Ron. "Don't be a fool. Look around you. Friends, family, people who love you and who will always _be_ there for you."

Ron stopped halfway down the aisle and stared blankly at Draco.

"It's more than _I'll_ ever have, Weasley," Draco continued as he walked closer. "I have a wife and child. And unlike you I can't even count past the number of fingers I have on _both_ of my hands as to the number of true _friends_ I have in the world. I'll always have less than you. But I would not _envy_ you for one moment if you're fool enough to throw away the love of someone who's willing to spend the rest of her life with you."

Just then, little Scorpius began to cry. Pansey was now walking towards Ron, hoping to reinforce Draco's point.

"They're all I have," Draco sobbed. "But it's more than _you'll_ have if you walk out that door."

As if on cue, the church doors swung open and there was Lucius and Narcissa. Ron couldn't help but smile. Narcissa was close to tears as she hugged an oversized teddy bear.

Draco turned to see what the crowd was looking at. He was speechless. But the look of longing on his father's face and his mother clutching the teddy bear brought him more joy than he'd known in his life. It was one thing to teach Ron a lesson about love. It was another to keep Narcissa from her first grandchild when she clearly wanted to be there for him.

The silence was broken by the sound of Hermione vomiting. She had grabbed Victoire's basket and managed not to soil the altar. Molly Weasley gently wiped her lips with a handkerchief as her mother rubbed her back. But the reality of Hermione's condition was evident. Even to Ron who finally came out of his trance. Morning sickness. Hermione was pregnant. Molly clasped her hands over her mouth and stared at Hermione wide-eyed. Ginny dropped her bouquet and rushed to Hermione's side as well.

Standing up at the altar, Molly called out to her son, "Ronald…you marry this girl or you are no son of _mine_!"

Draco was already starting to sob as Pansey kissed his cheek while holding their infant son in her arms. He then felt a gentle hand on his shoulder as turned to see Ron nod in silent agreement.

"I will if _you_ will, Draco," Ron said with a weak smile and nodded his head towards Lucius and Narcissa.

With a polite nod, Draco turned and put his arm around Pansey as they walked to his parents. Sobbing uncontrollably, Narcissa dropped her teddy bear and held out her arms as she walked towards them, longing to hold her grandchild for the first time.

Ron finally reached the altar just as Molly, Ginny and Gracie helped Hermione to her feet. He needn't beg her to accept his apology after all. The words barely left his lips before Hermione threw her arms around his neck to the sound of thunderous applause. In the next instant, Ron swept her off her feet and walked towards the antechamber of the church with her in his arms.

"Um…Ron," Harry called out. "You're not _married_ yet."

"Give us a moment to freshen up, will ya?" Ron said as he continued on.

As everyone began to talk amongst themselves, Harry paced the floor near the antechamber. He fought the urge to burst into the chamber and give Ron a good tongue-lashing.

"C'mon, love," Ginny said to him. "We're _married_ now. _Talk_ to me."

"I just hope they're alright, is all," Harry sighed.

Smiling as Narcissa rocked little Scorpius in her arms, Lucius leaned in and rested his head on her shoulder. Scorpius was beginning to fall asleep quicker than Draco and Pansey were used to.

"H-how do you _do_ that?" Draco asked.

"He knows his grandmamma," Narcissa whispered as Scorpius nodded off.

"Will you come over more often?" Draco asked timidly. "Please?"

Narcissa nodded, remembering the sleepless nights a parent must endure with newborns.

Arthur came over and nodded politely to Lucius as Draco looked on,dumbfounded at how easily his mother put Scorpius to sleep.

"How did you know I'd be here?" Draco asked.

"I _invited_ him, lad," Arthur stated plainly. "Your father was a big help setting Bartolo up for a fall."

"Setting up?" Draco asked.

"My dear boy," Lucius explained. "How do you think you came into possession of that Jade mushroom in the first place?"

"It took _both_ our efforts to persuade the Ministry not to press charges against you," Arthur added. "You and the other lads are _heroes_. Can't have our heroes being carted off to _Azkaban_ now, can we?"

Harry had had enough. Pausing for a moment, he quickly unlocked the antechamber door and burst in. Ginny was too late to stop him. The sight of Ron's bare buttocks and Hermione with her skirt around her waist said it all.

"Oi! What the hell, Harry!?" Ron bellowed.

Quickly retreating back out the door with a devilish grin, Harry looked at Ginny and smiled.

"Now we're _even_," he chuckled.

"You _didn't_!" Ginny laughed.

Finally, Ron and Hermione were ready and _ran_ to the altar together, giggling like teenagers.

Before the preacher could even ask, Hermione exclaimed, "I do!"

Cheers and exhausted sighs echoed throughout the church as Ron and Hermione kissed.

Chapter 57 _**Parting Gift**_

As the wedding festivities continued, a lone figure arrived at the gates of Azkaban. His slow and deliberate steps a testament to his state of mind. What was he there for? Atonement? Forgiveness?

Was he ignorant of the other wizard slowly following him at a distance after he gained entry? Or were the events of the past five years weighing too heavily on his mind to care?

Up two floating staircases later, the lone figure found himself at the cell of Don Bartolo Aragon. The locket grew warm in his pocket. But the cold coil around his heart had not left him since the awful day he took the life of an innocent. One terrible moment in time, frozen forever. After today…one of them will know peace.

"Aragon," he called out.

Don Bartolo looked up from his bed, a disheveled shell of a wizard. A wizard who was once destined for greatness. Fudge held out the locket, its gold casing shone bright in the darkness of his cell. As he flung himself against the bars and reached for it, Fudge pulled it back. He had one final request after all.

"Phineas…Lovejoy," Fudge asked.

The other wizard waited a short distance away in the darkness as Fudge concluded his business with Don Bartolo. The familiar and melancholy strains of _Rhapsody on a theme_ _of Paginini_ began to echo through the halls of Azkaban. A low murmur echoed in the halls as fellow prisoners groaned their appreciation.

At the end of Fudge's long walk back down the floating staircases, the other wizard finally spoke up, "It will eventually _kill_ him, won't it? It's a variation on the _Tarantella_ curse. He won't stop dancing until he's either dead or someone closes the locket."

"_One_ of us should die happy, Miss Umbridge," said Fudge.

Chapter 58 _**The Reception**_

The happy couples were true _family_ at last. Michael's mansion was decorated throughout with wreaths and ribbons in purple and gold. If nothing else, it was a wonderful way to break in a new home. Ron never left Hermione's side for a moment throughout the festivities and Harry playfully argued with Ginny about _honeymoon_ destinations.

"I can't believe you haven't decided on a _destination_ yet!" Hermione joked.

"Well, we can share a suite at the _Layzark_ in _Iscandia_," Harry suggested with a devilish grin. "They opened their borders again last month. I hear the food's great and the Atlantean ruins are a sight to behold."

"Yeah, that's all we need," Ron laughed. "You walking _in_ on us again!"

Draco was getting a refill at the punch bowl and stared wide-eyed as his father looked-around carefully and then poured liquor into it.

"_That'll_ liven things up a bit, eh?" he joked.

But Draco's accusing look forced Lucius to defend himself somehow.

"Oh come now, Draco," he chuckled. "_Lighten up_!"

"Oh, that's _rich_ coming from an ex _Death Eater_ who used to be so uptight he could spout _diamonds_ from his arse," Draco countered.

"I know," Lucius continued and sipped some of the liquored punch. "Speaking of _rich_, I heard you amassed a rather sizeable fortune, eh?"

"Yeah," Draco answered. "Some guy with the fakest American southern accent I ever heard bought all the jewels. So…don't worry about my interitance, dad. Okay?"

"F-fake?" Lucius answered in seemingly _annoyed_ tone.

"Yeah, his accent sounded so _strained_ I could swear it was some _Brit_ hoping to _sound_ like a Georgian," Draco continued.

"Well m-maybe he _was_," Lucius continued. "And…ah am sure he worked very _hard_ at it, suh!"

Draco almost dropped his punch as the truth finally dawned on him.

"_Langdon Mat-…_" he began and then hit himself on the forehead. "Lucius Malfoy."

"Ah is pleased to make yo acquaintance, suh!" Lucius joked as he held out his hand.

"Oh for the love of…" Draco groaned and began to walk away.

"Oh come now, Draco," Lucius giggled and put his arm around him. "I had to get your inheritance to you _somehow_. And the rest was a sizeable reward to you and the other lads from seventeen different wizarding nations. And besides we…"

"Yeah yeah yeah," Draco interrupted as they both headed back to Pansey and Narcissa.

Neville waved his wand and the musical orchids began to hum.

"Harry!" he called out. "Time for the first dance, mate!"

Harry looked over at Ron.

"Go on, Harry!" Ron answered as Hermione sat on his lap. "You guys get the first dance!"

"I'm recording this one on a memory locket, love," Ginny whispered to him.

As everyone gathered around the dance floor, Ginny carefully removed her veil and tiara and held out her arms to him. The musical orchids began their refrain as Harry walked towards her.

After a brief prelude, the orchids played their featured tune of the evening. Harry froze in his tracks. It was _Rhapsody on a theme of Paginini_.

"Shall we dance, my love?" Ginny asked.

Harry shook off the strangest feeling of déjà vu he'd ever experienced, took Ginny in his arms and waltz around the dance floor with her.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Ginny asked as she smiled up at him.

"Nothing, love," Harry sighed. "Nothing at all."


End file.
